Three Rivers Impact

A good friend of mine forwarded a newspaper article to me a few days ago. The article was a journalist making a brave attempt at tearing down the new CBS show "Three Rivers".
In her article she states that she thought the Dr's in the show looked overworked and constantly on the run, so she decided to ask a few friends of hers if this were true. She actually asked 2 yeah ONLY 2 friends in the transplant field. So this makes her an expert on the importance of promoting organ donation? Much less gives her the authority to criticize a much needed series, that shows what these medical professionals really do to save lives? Oh yeah, and what about those of us who've lived through it? Are dying as I write this hoping for a life saving transplant!
I have steamed over this article for the last 2 days, and wanted to post a link here for you to read. However, if I do post a link it only gives her more readership and credibility, and I apologize that I refuse to do.
If you've had a transplant or are waiting you know first hand how hard our teams work for us. I've witnessed it 3 times now.
I remember waking up in ICU after my first bi-lateral lung transplant in Pittsburgh. It seemed that everyday my surgeon was wheeling in another patient fresh from a transplant. My first words to him after I was extubated(removed from the dreaded respirator) were, "I thank God I was your first in all this". Yes he looked exhausted, yes he needed a shave, but his exhaustion was one of reward. He saved lives.
My 2nd lung transplant, I remember asking Dr. Baz (Shands Gainesville, FL) to please take a day off! The day he came to see me in jeans and a pullover sweater, I knew it was his day off and told him to get out and relax!
These teams take people like me, dying, oxygen sats of 48%. blue fingers, blue circles under my eyes, and make us whole again. I was given a life I never dreamed could happen to me, thanks to my overworked (yes they are), under appreciated, surgeon, physician, coordinator, and nurses on the transplant team. And you know the best part?
THEY STILL CONTINUE TO DO IT!


This journalist, instead of dissing a new show could have made a higher impact by promoting the "message" of the show. Organ transplantation/donation does not have the platform of Breast cancer awareness, diabetes, heart disease. I'm not trying to demean these in anyway. Thank goodness they do have a platform, however we 2-nd timers would like a platform too, to save those waiting.
Only by promoting the meaning of Three Rivers can the message get out and help ease pain and grieving for donor families (they are finally honored for the heroes they are), and those waiting (we can give them hope to keep going), and us recipients (it's up to us to carry that torch to make sure the candidates get that chance too). Too many shows put little tidbits in a story line about transplantation with no follow through. What happens to the recipient later? What about the struggles to pay for meds? And heaven forbid, what if they get sick! How to afford that with our wonderful Medicare system, or private insurance?
Plus, the pitfalls of going back to work. That's a story in itself.
Here we have a show with follow through...... It's about us, for us, and we can relate to it. No tidbits, just solid promotion.

If she had checked further this journalist would have found a wonderful story to tell. How CBS partnered with DonateLife Hollywood to make the stories as real as possible (we know there has to be drama). Also how Alex O'Loughlin became a DonateLife spokesperson because the cause is so great. This is the line she should have taken. Then she would have made a great journalist, not just mediocre.

My reply to my friend Merv (he has a transplant blog too, check him out) MervSheppard.blogspot.com, "And she thinks she's an expert on transplantation? I'm still spreading the word to watch the show, give it great ratings and keep it on the air! We'll show her!"