Organ Transplants - (It Happened to Me) by Tina P Schwartz (Hardcover)

About the Book

Talks to teens and offers practical advice and suggestions for coping with and surviving the situation of when a family member has an organ transplant, or when they are personally facing an organ transplant. It covers how to deal with events that happen before, during, and after the surgery.

Book Synopsis

This is a one-of-a-kind book that addresses the issue of what it's like to be involved with an organ transplant procedure. It's filled with real-life stories of teens whose parents, siblings, or other family members are transplant recipients as well as teens who have had transplants themselves and includes stories of recipients who have received heart, liver, kidney, pancreas, and double-lung transplants.

This book describes the physical and emotional ups and downs that are part of the transplant process. It addresses, from both the recipient's and family's point of view, what it feels like to be placed on the transplant list, to wait for an organ, to receive "false alarm" calls to come to the transplant center, to finally undergo the transplant operation, to recover, to deal with setbacks of surgery and organ rejection, and to live on anti-rejection drugs the rest of one's life. Also detailed are the medical, financial, mental, and other preparations that must be undertaken as part of the transplant process. Guidance on what to expect, how to help, where to seek assistance, and how to support the patient is also given.

Answers to the tough practical and emotional questions that teens have about an organ transplant, such as will my parent survive the surgery, how long will it take for my parent to recover, and why is this happening to me are discussed? Numerous question-and-answer sections of frequently asked questions about organ transplants and the myths that surround them are included, as well as contact information for organizations that provide many forms of assistance for recipients and their families.

Through all the serious issues, however, this book offers much hope and promise for recipients and their families through the stories of those whose lives have been greatly improved through an organ transplant. This is the ideal resource for all readers who are interested in the subject of organ donation and transplant, including those who are facing a transplant and their family members as well a

Review Quotes

Honest and compassionate.... this book will give young adults hope and courage and let them know that they are not alone.-- "School Library Journal"

Intended for the children of patients, this resource answers questions about the organ transplant process and the emotions family members may experience. The author, whose father received a liver transplant, overviews the challenges of waiting for a donor organ, some of the related controversies created by low supply and high demand, and how to become a future donor.-- "Scitech Book News"

Personal stories illustrate what it feels like to be put on the transplant list, the waiting in fear that a match will not be available until too late, the frustration of false alarms, the concern about the actual surgery, and the support needed after the transplant. General information on transplants, the waiting list, and how organs are assigned to patients are explained and then individual chapters detail the process for different types of transplants-heart, liver, kidney, pancreas, and lung. Sidebars, quotes from patients and family members, and a questions-and-answer format, supported by the personal stories give a clear picture on what to expect. Web sites, organizations, and a suggested reading list offer the reader places to go for further information. This book in the It Happened to Me series would be valuable for reports as well as for family members of organ transplant patients.-- "VOYA"

The book addresses the issue of what it's like to be an organ transplant recipient or to be close to someone who is. It is filled with real-life stories of teens whose parents, siblings or other family members have been transplant recipients and of teens who have had heart, liver, kidney, pancreas and lung transplants themselves....The book is the ideal resource for those who are interested in organ donation and transplant, those who are facing a transplant and their family members, and medical professionals who work with transplant recipients, donors and their families...-- "Grayslake Times"

The books strike a balance between breezy presentation and hard information, including references to popular movies and television shows as well as lists of Internet sites for further research.-- "The Record"

The resources in the book are a treasure. I think it is an extremely difficult and challenging job to put together a piece of work that so eloquently ties in the scientific/physical, emotional, and personal aspects (essentially everything)--but this author has done it--and she has done it beautifully....For anyone even remotely interested in organ transplants and especially to everyone involved in the organ transplant area (family member, friend, recipient, patient, doctor, nurse, and the list goes on...), this book is a cushion to support you and a shoulder for you to lean on during any and all stages of organ transplantation.--Mary H. Wu, National Kidney Foundation "The Transaction Council"

This book is a one-of-a-kind book that addresses the issue of what it is like to be an organ transplant recipient or to be close to someone who is....Highly Recommended.--Marilyn Sprague, Flower Mound HS

About the Author

Tina P. Schwartz is a full-time freelance writer of children's books and the child of a parent who went through an organ transplant.