Transplant survivors discover risks, support during COVID-19 pandemic

When Debbie Baker, Jeanne Haft and Dale Merz got together recently at Price Hill Chili, the conversation was about livers and living with borrowed time.

HARTMAN.CORONAVIRUS IS CUTTINGOFF ORGAN TRANSPLANT PROGRAMSIN PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.ANDDOCTORS SAY -- IT'S HAPPENINGIN THE WORST COVIDHOTSPOTS.HERE IN THE TRI-STATE-- HOSPITALS ARE FULL-GO --BUT DOCTORS SEE NEW RISKSATTACKING SURVIVORS.HERE'SREPORTER LARRY SEWARD.in price hill's chililandmark..."they got lucky and metme."debbie baker... jeanne haft...dale and nancy merz... wereall about livers and livingwith borrowedtime."i'm very thankful for the guywho donated my liver.

He was51 and they tell me he was acomedian so that's where i gotthis from.

He's myinspiration.""i got on the list november13th and was transplanted onher birthday january21st."those tears hardly come fromfear...just concern about the impactof coronavirus on othersgiving... getting... andwaiting for organs in thepandemic."we still need more donors.

Weknew of someone who justdied."haft sold homes until suddenlyfeeling sick andfinding out she had stage fourcirrhosis.two-and-a-half yearslater...her recovery involves fellowsurvivors."you have somebody to talk tothat you can say do you feeltired like this.

Do you feelstupid like this (laughs)?

Canyou remember that?

I mean ittakes two of us to remembersomething.(laughs)""this a very tough time forpatients because they need alot of support.

That's acritical component of gettinga transplant is that you haveto have the support system inplace."living organ donations fellbehind last year's pace thisspring.the number of peoplenot ready surgery on waitlistsrosetoo.and in places strugglingto contain the spread ofcoronavirus...swamped hospitals stalledprocedures to protecttransplant patientson medicine that intentionallysuppresses immunesystemback then... theuniversity of cincinnatimedical center paused itskidney program and temporarilyscaled back liver transplants.now full strength and doingmore of those surgeries thanlast year... doctors just didtheir first living livertransplant inyears."surgeons have not yet seenorgans donated from peoplewho've had covid and don'tknow how hospitals will handleit.

But they're plentyconcerned about new risksfacing transplantsurvivors.""my kids were my life.

I hadtosurvive."32-years ago... dale merzneeded aliver.a transplant at UC savedhis life... but the medicinekeeping him alive is alsokilling his kidneyand he's close to needing asecond transplant.he's hardlyalone.needing more than onlineor phone chats...Debbie Baker got her palstogether forbreakfast.rare risk these daysfor this group.but it'sreminder of why they're hereat all.)"...i feel like we're aliveand we have tolive..."Larry Seward... WCPO... ninenews.