Family Driving Around with Sign on Back of Van, Hoping for Third Chance at Life
“Socialization” is a big word that means something simple. Essentially, it means behaving in a way that other people find acceptable.
Think of it like benign peer pressure, and unlike most kinds of peer pressure, it generally works pretty well.
After all, we’re glad that everyone in the United States agrees to stop on red and drive on the right-hand side of the road. Sometimes, though, it doesn’t make sense to do things the way everyone else does.
Think about organ transplants. When a loved one needs, say, a new kidney, society tells us to put a person on a transplant list and wait.
According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, however, Emilia Haro refused to do that. See, the Casa Grande, Arizona, mother knows all about the need for new organs.
Her 34-year-old daughter, who is also named Emilia, got bad news when she was only 15. She had lupus, an autoimmune disorder where the body attacks itself.
Casa Grande mom uses car as mobile billboard to find kidney for daughter https://t.co/Lv5Xm25OS8 pic.twitter.com/3VuS84RHHQ
— KOLDNews (@KOLDNews) September 4, 2018
The Casa Grande Dispatch reported that Emilia needed a kidney while she was in high school. In fact, she received a transplant when she was a senior.
Her parents thought that was the end of the story. “We thought the kidney would last forever,” Haro told KTVK.
But it didn’t. In 2016, doctors discovered that the kidney had started to fail.
“We got the call last October,” Haro said. “Doctors said the kidney stopped working and she needed to get to the hospital right away to start dialysis.
“The doctor says this will stop as soon as she receives a new kidney.” Haro added, “I don’t want to think about what will happen if we don’t find a donor.”
So instead of waiting, Haro decided to advertise her daughter’s plight in a very public way: She wrote it on the rear window of her car.
“Daughter needs a kidney,” the words read. “Blood type O.”
The gambit hasn’t paid off yet. “So far, no one has called,” Haro said.
Still, she’s hoping that someone will notice her plea and respond. She wanted potential donors to know that it wouldn’t cost them a penny.
“People who donate don’t pay for any part of the transplant,” Haro said. “All the costs are covered by Emilia’s insurance.”
Emilia herself knows that a new kidney would also equal a new lease on life. “It would mean everything to me,” she said.
“It’s a second chance to get my life back.” The Mayo Clinic in Phoenix is currently soliciting questionnaires from people interested in helping Emilia.
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