[BC] [TZ] Phil Alexander

[Chip]

This is so sad.  I recently lost a decades old friend to bone cancer.   
The end of his life was actually brought about because of kidney  
failure.  His 'chemo theropy distroyed his kidneys.  He was strongly  
fighting his bone cancer, but kidney failure was killing him, and it  
did.  He had a great fight though.  I really miss him, as he was a  
great guy, and as I told his mother, I was honored that he would have  
me as a friend.

The thing we should all take from this is that we need to have our  
Driver's Licenses marked as organ donors.

THIS ALONE is not good enough.  Your family has to know this.

Hospitals will NOT take your organs based on your donor status on your  
driver's license.  Your next of kin need to know your intentions and  
need to tell the the folks at the hospital.

I not only have told my wife what I want, but I have a directive.  My  
organs go to anyone who can use them.  Beyond that, my body goes to  
Georgetown University Hospital Medical School for one year.  Then I am  
creamitated and then ... well, that isn't important.

I have NO association with Georgetown.  I attended George Washington  
University.  They were only interested in real estate, though they did  
treat Ronald Regan very well when he was shot.  I lived about 120 feet  
away, and saw him delivered to the ER.  Still, GW is a really awful  
school.  They don't care about the students.

Anyway, Georgetown really treated my friend well over about 14 years,  
so they get to cut up my body.

Consider both giving your living organs when you die.  They should  
continue to live in people who need them.

Then consider giving your body to a medical school for a year.  That  
is all they want anyway.  They will cremate your body and deliver it  
to your next of kin.  Of course, they will return the body too, but why?

I don't know if a kidney would have saved Judi, or extended her life,  
but if we are talking about my dead body, I am hoping it would have  
helped.

Phil, I am so sorry for your loss.  I have been with my wife for only  
36 years, but it would be devastating if I lost her.  I hope she  
survives me.

Please be strong.

--chip

On Oct 28, 2009, at 2:31 AM, Barry Mishkind wrote:

> A heads up for everyone:
>
> Some of you have noticed that Phil Alexander has not been very
> visible of late. The reason is that after 43 years of marriage, Phil
> lost his wife Judi to kidney failure on Thursday morning.
>
> A private memorial service is scheduled for Thursday in Western
> Massachusetts, where Phil's daughter has been caring for his wife for
> much of the past year or so.  (You can image how many miles Phil has
> put on in recent months ... explaining his lack of visibility.)
>
> According to Judi's request, in lieu of flowers, donations may be
> made to the National Kidney Foundation ... www.kidney.org