august 3 - 9 | 2016
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circulating in wangaratta, myrtleford, bright, mt beauty, beechworth, yackandandah, rutherglen, chiltern and districts
Precious gifts of life By KYLIE WILSON
GIFT OF LIFE:
Liver transplant recipient Renee Garoni and daughter Nina-Maree Cowton, seen here with a family photo album, are both passionate about the benefits of organ and blood donation. PHOTO: Kylie Wilson
GARDENING WITH
DEBBI
RSPCA
WITH
BELLA
FILM
WINE TALK WITH
SUICIDE
SQUAD
ANITA
HAD it not been for the lifesaving actions of strangers, Renee Garoni might not be here today. Since birth, the Wangaratta resident has lived with the genetic condition of alpha-1 antitripsin protein deficiency, which, in her case, affects her liver. At just 10 years old, with her health declining, she was the recipient of a lifesaving liver transplant. Health problems cropped up again a few years ago, when Renee, now a mother of three and wife to husband Phil, became very ill, with her donor liver deteriorating rapidly. Rushed to Melbourne’s Austin Hospital, she received a new liver transplant and fought her way back to good health. Renee said that she was determined to recover for her family, thinking of her children and saying “I didn’t want them to grow up without me”. The experience underlined the importance of organ donation, as well as blood donations, to the family, Renee also having received blood transfusions several times in her life. For eldest daughter Nina-Maree Cowton, a young teenager at the time, the experience affirmed her resolve to give back to the community and has made her passionate about blood and organ donation. Now in her final year at Galen Catholic College, she combines her hectic study load with regular blood donations at the Wangaratta Blood Donor Centre. Her experiences have also made her determined to help other people by carving out a career in the health industry. “I can help not only people who are sick, but their families as well,” she said. Both women encourage people from across the North East to sign up for organ donation and to give blood regularly if they are able. continued page |
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