Comments on: The Girl & the UCLA Gangster Transplant – UPDATED

By: Ricki

Ricki — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 05:58:39 +0000

Thank you for doing a story like this….as a 28 year old woman with a monthly share of cost medi-cal of $1250 (yes monthly) I am VERY worried about the money and politics at UCLA specifically — I am currently waiting to be put on the list at UCLA for a liver and have already gotten slow responses and several follow-up calls JUST on my insurance (and I am not even on their list yet) they warned me that the work up itself is VERY expensive… As if I have a choice. hehe (MELD SCORE 14)

By: Woody

Woody — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 23:01:55 +0000

I just watched a show on Alaska–the new frontier. It showed a polar bear trying to catch an arctic wolf. Who am I supposed to be for?

By: Celeste Fremon

Celeste Fremon — Sat, 31 May 2008 17:45:03 +0000

Thanks for telling that very difficult personal story, GM. The phone idea is a good one. I also have made sure to make it clear to my family.

Jay, I’d like to know more about the FBI connection too.

By: GM Roper

GM Roper — Sat, 31 May 2008 16:05:57 +0000

Amen Randy. Orbach was a mensch! Everyone should consider donating and the drivers license is a good way to do it but that doesn’t always work. I also have ICE on my cell phone. It stands for In Case of Emergency and lists my emergency contact and a note that I’m an organ donor.

By: Randy Paul

Randy Paul — Sat, 31 May 2008 14:01:05 +0000

GM,

God bless her for her gift. One of the most moving subway ads here in NY mentions how Jerry Orbach donated his corneas after he died so that others could see.

Which is a reminder that everyone should remember to sign their donor section on their driver’s license.

By: GM Roper

GM Roper — Sat, 31 May 2008 12:54:36 +0000

Perhaps like some that comment here, I was a widower. When my first wife died, she had already made arrangements to be an organ donor as had I. Fortunately, when she passed away they were able to use for transplanting skin for severe burn victims, corneas for two blind people restoring partian vision, bone marrow for two lukemia victims. She is gone for some 12 years, she lives on because of transplanting.

Continue this fight Celeste, it is well worth the effort.

By: WBC

WBC — Sat, 31 May 2008 02:55:00 +0000

Of course criminals shouldn’t be coming here to jump ahead in line of local patients, but money talks. And how was UCLA supposed to have a failsafe check, when our local law enforcement at ALL levels, from the cops to Sheriffs to ICE, often fails to identify illegal gangbangers and lets them out on the street — Pedro Espinoza being just an infamous case.

Not to glorify the Yakuza, but they sure are different from the local variety, whether Crips and Bloods or LaEme’s groups – - they don’t involve the innocent public, and in fact condemn petty crime. There’s so little crime in Japan, if feels eerie to feel so safe, to know if you forget your videobag on a bus, it will be left untouched and returned to you (happened a couple of times). But yeah, they’re a scarily sophisticated and cold bunch when it comes to the big stuff.

By: Woody

Woody — Sat, 31 May 2008 02:22:44 +0000

Celeste, on your question, I have no idea how to get an answer or if you can.

By: Jay

Jay — Sat, 31 May 2008 02:04:02 +0000

Sad article. The Yakuza is different beast than your Crips and Bloods. Check out the fantastic book Yakuza: Japan’s Criminal Underworld by David E. Kaplan and Alex Dubrow for more on the Yakuza’s unique international organized crime activities.

While I sure there will be much focus on the ethical failure of UCLA’s Medical Center, I would also like to know more of the story on the FBI got duped.

By: Celeste Fremon

Celeste Fremon — Sat, 31 May 2008 02:00:31 +0000

Woody you’re asking the question I want answered. I want to know how triage was performed and, as Listener said, I want some transparency about the criteria that came into play here.

About the second part of your comment, I know you’re needling, but the real answer is that UCLA has one of the best and most experienced liver transplant teams in the world. In the US, they’re the 800 pound gorilla when it comes to liver transplants, which is why Kelli J. hoped to go there.