Sunday, August 31, 2008

Maybe our blogger community can help

I got this from Superraizy:

Elliot Jaffe, who writes the blog Weekend Hospitality, has a son who has been diagnosed with Chronic Renal Failure. Elliot writes "Simply put, both his kidneys are damaged and scarred from some infection or defect that happened years ago. They will likely cease to function sometime within the next six months... the best solution for Asaf is a kidney transplant... Live organ donors are considered the best option for kidney transplants. The percentage of successful transplants is higher from a live donor and the transplanted kidney has a longer chance of surviving in the recipient's body. Please contact us if you know of anyone who might be willing to donate one of their kidneys to Asaf. The process takes about six months and requires numerous meetings with doctors, social workers, psychologists and committees to make sure that the decision is freely made and will not jeopardize the donor or the recipient. The recovery time for the donor after the transplant can be as fast at 3-4 days." You can read Elliot's entire post here. The Jaffes, who live in Israel, have also posted a letter about their search here on the Jerusalem Post website.
Elliot says that Asaf will probably need a kidney transplant within the next 12 months. All of his close relatives have been eliminated as potential donors. To donate, you must be in perfect health and have blood type B or O. The Jaffes can be reached at their blog or at elliot_jaffe@yahoo.com.
Please help publicize Asaf's case by linking to Elliot's post or letter.
May Hashem grant Asaf Jaffe a refuah shleimah.


Here, my friends, is where we can wield the power of the Jewish blogosphere. I have a small blog, but if all you guys who stop by who have blogs link up to Elliot's blog, and then your blogger friends link up to their blogs and reach their visitors and so on and so on and so on. All of our small, and maybe not-so-small blogs could potentially reach huge amounts of people. What your politics or religious views are don't matter. We can reach all different kinds of Jews everywhere, and perhaps somewhere amongst our readers is a donor that can save this young man's life.

Several years ago at the Synagogue we went to in Woodmere, NY, the call went out that a member of our shul needed a kidney. Another member of our shul was tested and was a match. In the blink of an eye he gave his kidney away, and never looked back. His wife and children were extremely proud of him, as they well should be. I was proud to be a part of the same congregation. What a huge mitzvah.

We are all responsible for each other. If this were my child....

Wishing Asaf a Refuah Shleima, a speedy recovery.

4 comments:

SuperRaizy said...

Thank you, Baila.
"Here, my friends, is where we can wield the power of the Jewish blogosphere"- Amen.

Gila said...

It is up.

rutimizrachi said...

Please tell us Asaf's Hebrew name, with his mother's (of course, as we are asking for rachamim). It takes all of the soldiers in the different branches of the military to fight a war. The same is true on the spiritual front. Meaning: even if I may not be up for donating a kidney, I can surely petition Asaf's Tatte b'Shomayim and mine for a donor, and a refua sheleima.

Batya said...

My friend got one a few years ago. A person who's a group which likes to help people, gave her his kidney.