Enjoying a 'new' life and giving back

StephenW

Enjoying a 'new' life and giving back
                                        BY PETER JEAN, HEALTH REPORTER
                                        22 Feb, 2011 08:03 AM
                                                                                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                    
It took Ivan Stibohar years to get over a feeling of guilt after he underwent successful liver transplant surgery.Mr Stibohar, of Macquarie, was suffering from sclerosis of the liver and hepatitis B when he received the liver in 1997.
Now aged 70, Mr Stibohar was yesterday helping out at a  DonateLife Week information stall at the Canberra Hospital.
Heexplained that he would be forever grateful for the liver that savedhis life, but like many other people who had received a transplant, hehad difficulty coming to terms with the magnitude of what had happened.
''I had been very, very guilty, particularly because my donor was a 15-year-old girl,'' he said.
''Ihad been getting over it slowly but surely. Some of us people with atransplant have anxiety and unfortunately I was one of them.''
Meeting the grandmother of the Hunter region donor several years laterhelped ease Mr Stibohar's anxiety. ''We are now really good friends andshe said I shouldn't be worried, they gave me the giftunconditionally,'' he said.
Through the organ recipientcommunity, Mr Stibohar met a man who fathered a child soon afterreceiving a kidney transplant from the 15-year-old girl.
''Hethat said without the operation he wouldn't have been able to have thechild. And I heard they then had another two or three children.''
Alsohelping out on the stall yesterday was Rob Benson, of Stirling, whoselife was saved by a bone marrow transplant from his niece 11 years ago.Mr Benson said he was pleased to be able to contribute to the organdonation cause through volunteering.
''I'm so grateful for livingand the opportunity I have to be reborn and live a new life. You reallydo live a new life and I appreciate it,'' he said.
DuringDonateLife Week all Australians are being encouraged to talk with theirfamilies and close friends about organ and tissue donation, includingwhether they would be willing to be donors.
Information about organ and tissue donation can be found at www.donatelife.gov.au.