Supporters hope to find liver for local educator
The Daily Journal - San Mateo | Heather Murtagh
It’s hard to miss Christopher Mahoney when visiting the San Carlos Charter Learning Center.
The 43-year-old director of the school is much taller than the student body â€" most of whom are somewhere between 5 to 13 years old. Also, especially since returning from the summer, he has a yellowish tint to his skin and eyes that the children find hard to ignore. Mahoney doesn’t mind. In fact, he enjoys the honesty of the children â€" it’s a break from thinking about the serious reason behind the unique skin tone.
Mahoney was first diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis, known as PSC, in 2003. The chronic liver disease reached a critical level this spring. In March, he was put on the liver donor transplant list. Mahoney kept the diagnosis secret until returning this summer when he could no longer hide the effects.
Now, Mahoney is on a transplant list. His wife and supportive friends are working on getting his name on the list of other hospitals and working out possible travel plans should that option become available. And, he’s actively looking to inform people about donor options. There is, of course, the option to register as a donor after death. Live donors are also an option for liver transplant patients. Anyone interested in being a live donor for Mahoney must be healthy, between 18 to 55 years old, have a type A or O blood type (negative or positive), a body mass index under 30 and current health insurance.
Talking about organ donation wasn’t what Mahoney thought would be part of his life.
The 43-year-old director of the school is much taller than the student body â€" most of whom are somewhere between 5 to 13 years old. Also, especially since returning from the summer, he has a yellowish tint to his skin and eyes that the children find hard to ignore. Mahoney doesn’t mind. In fact, he enjoys the honesty of the children â€" it’s a break from thinking about the serious reason behind the unique skin tone.
Mahoney was first diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis, known as PSC, in 2003. The chronic liver disease reached a critical level this spring. In March, he was put on the liver donor transplant list. Mahoney kept the diagnosis secret until returning this summer when he could no longer hide the effects.
Now, Mahoney is on a transplant list. His wife and supportive friends are working on getting his name on the list of other hospitals and working out possible travel plans should that option become available. And, he’s actively looking to inform people about donor options. There is, of course, the option to register as a donor after death. Live donors are also an option for liver transplant patients. Anyone interested in being a live donor for Mahoney must be healthy, between 18 to 55 years old, have a type A or O blood type (negative or positive), a body mass index under 30 and current health insurance.
Talking about organ donation wasn’t what Mahoney thought would be part of his life.
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