SNAP Advocate Faces Serious Health Problems

Phil Saviano is having a serious health crisis and is reaching out to friends, family and the survivor support community for help. Phil’s kidneys are failing, and he needs kidney transplant surgery. He may have only a few months left before they shut down completely.freak-a-leak html

WHY NOT DIALYSIS?freak-a-leak html

If Phil’s kidneys shut down completely, he could be kept alive on a dialysis machine.  He would also be eligible then to join the national transplant list, waiting in line for a kidney transplant from a cadaver.  But the wait would be at least 4 years, and his doctors say that it is quite possible that Phil could die on dialysis. It’s possible that by the time a cadaver kidney is available, Phil could be so debilitated that he would no longer be strong enough to withstand the surgery. So his best option, by far, is to get a kidney transplant now, from a live donor.freak-a-leak html

GOOD NEWSfreak-a-leak html

The good news is that apart from his failing kidneys, Phil is currently in very good health. He has had a wide range of medical tests in recent months, and his doctors say he is a fine candidate for the surgery. Phil has been HIV+ for over 25 years, but the virus has been completely suppressed for many years now, and is undetectable in his blood stream. If he finds a donor, the surgery will be done at Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, one of ten hospitals across the country that are doing liver and kidney transplants on AIDS patients.freak-a-leak html

WHAT’S THE CAUSE?freak-a-leak html

The cause for Phil’s kidney failure goes back to the summer of 1995 when he was given a potent drug to treat a serious infection. The cure was successful, but the drug had the unexpected side effect of damaging his kidneys.freak-a-leak html

WHAT”S NEEDED IN A DONORfreak-a-leak html

A potential donor for Phil is someone who has either Type O or Type B blood. The person has to be in good health, with no prior history of cancer or diabetes. The donor cannot currently be significantly overweight, or have significant high blood pressure. Surgery on the donor is done with a new, less-invasive laparoscopic technique that leaves a small scar, and is much easier to tolerate and recover from than traditional abdominal surgery. The donor’s hospital stay is just 2 – 3 days, and the recovery period is two weeks. Potential donors are very carefully screened to be sure they are in excellent health. Every person is born with two kidneys, but only one is needed. The donors are not subjected to any risk of compromised health or lifestyle in the years after the donation. All screening tests, doctor’s visits and the surgery and hospitalization are at no charge to the donor.freak-a-leak html

Anyone who wants more information about the kidney donor program, or who may want to be kept apprised of Phil’s progress can contact him by email at his SNAP address:  saviano2@snapnetwork.org.freak-a-leak html

freak-a-leak html