Posted on 01/30/2005 7:09:13 PM PST by doug from upland
FREEPERS -- the story of a young Marine is below. Loma Linda is a half hour away from me. Leave messages on this thread, I'll print it, and I'll deliver it to his wife at the hospital.
Marine, Iraq Veteran, Receives New Liver
Yahoo News ^ | 1/30/05 | BEN FOX, AP
Posted on 01/30/2005 6:35:36 PM PST by kattracks
LOMA LINDA, Calif. - With little time left before his organs would likely fail, a U.S. Marine received a new liver Sunday for a mysterious ailment doctors said would kill him if he didn't get a transplant. Doctors operated on Lance Cpl. Chris LeBleu, who had been in a coma and on life support, for nearly 12 hours Sunday after an unidentified donor from New Mexico was found late Saturday night.Doctors said the procedure went well, said Sgt. Jennie Haskamp, spokeswoman at Twentynine Palms, where LeBleu was stationed. He was in critical condition late Sunday.
In the hospital lobby, his 21-year-old wife, Melany, found comfort in photos of her wedding last fall, shortly after LeBleu returned from Iraq (news - web sites). Despite her fears, she has remained optimistic since her husband's illness was discovered earlier this month.
Several of LeBleu's commanding officers, fellow Marines and other family members huddled with his wife Sunday as they awaited the outcome of the operation.
Burt Parham, who is related to LeBleu by marriage, said he expected bad news when he got the call that a liver had been found.
"It was kind of a worried ring, but we were glad of the news," said Parham, who lives in the family's hometown of Lake Charles, La. "It's a shame somebody has to die. But I mean, it's God's will, I guess. We sure have been praying for Chris."
The cause of the infection is unknown. Dr. Donald Hillebrand, a liver specialist, said LeBleu most likely caught a virus or was exposed to a toxin or chemical in Iraq or after his return.
LeBleu, 22, was a rifleman in Iraq for seven months as part of a 2,200-man task force that lost 21 people and had nearly 200 wounded in action. His battalion commander, Lt. Col. Matt Lopez, said he wasn't aware of any other members of the unit with similar ailments to LeBleu.
Fellow Marines call him "Blue," and say the Marine kept a cool head as his 160-man company guarded a base near the Syrian border.
"He's a real resilient guy, the most relaxed, confident person you'll ever meet," said Lance Cpl. Rob Whittenberg, 23, of Spring Branch, Texas.
The infection developed gradually.
In mid-December, just months after he returned from Iraq, LeBleu told his new wife he felt tired, a little under the weather.
Still, he was strong enough to drive them home to Louisiana for the holidays from his Marine Base in Southern California, going for 36 hours straight. On Jan. 2, he found the strength to go wild boar hunting with relatives.
"We kept telling him to go to a doctor, but he said it was just a sinus infection," Melany LeBleu said. "Of course, we didn't think it was anything major."
Days later, he felt much worse during the drive back to the Marine base at Twentynine Palms. In Texas, LeBleu felt so nauseous he had to pull over. They made it back to their home on the base, but he didn't get better.
On Jan. 10, she took him to a base emergency room, which sent him to Loma Linda University Medical Center, about 50 miles east of Los Angeles.
"He couldn't keep anything down, not even water," she said.
As recently as Thursday, he was jaundiced and swelling but could still answer questions, Hillebrand said.
Within 24 hours, however, he was no longer coherent and had to be put on life support.
Without a new liver, his other organs would have started to fail, his doctor said.
About 17,500 people are waiting for liver transplants in the United States, Hillebrand said. LeBleu's family and friends had sought a liver from someone with O-positive blood as a directed donation, outside the usual waiting process.
"It's hard to see your husband in that situation," Melany LeBleu said. "You can't even describe the feeling."
___
Associated Press Writers Doug Simpson and Janet McConnaughey in New Orleans contributed to this report.
Thank you for your service. Prayers are on the way for a speedy recovery.
Thank you for serving.
May God bless you every day, the rest of your valuable life.
Prayers up here for Chris and Melany. May Chris make a full and complete recovery and they grow very old together.
Come on Chris, you can do it!
Melany: stay strong, we're with you.
Doug: please keep us posted.
Trust me there are resident angels at Loma Linda.
Live a good life Chris.
Prayers for you and the unidentified donor.
Please God, Bless Chris, Melany and their family.
Continue to watch over, guide and protect our troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and all over the world.
Thank You.
This is a top notch hospital, spent a lot of time there when my wife was receiving radiation and care for some very serious aftereffects from the radiation...
Prayers for Chris , Melany and their families.
Tell his Doc's to test for Wegeners Granulomatosis!!!!
His symptoms are similar to mine when I got it. Its a very rare disease of the immune system - only about 2000 cases in US.
I was lucky in finding a Doc (the 4th one) who had worked on it before at NIH.
His symptoms sound like mine only faster progression.
Freep Mail me if I can be of any help!
Thanks for the heads up Tonk
Prayer warriors FYI
Chris,
Trust the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. He has a good plan for you and you must trust in Him.
The good Lord loves us and hears our prayers.
We're all pulling for you!
God bless you.
I join in prayer for his return to perfect health! I also join in thanking God for him and for his loved ones.
Melany and Chris, our love and prayers are with you. God Bless you and comfort you as you go through all of this. Chris, we are praying for a full and speedy recovery for you.
Father, I lift up Chris to You - this young man whom You loved before the world began. I lift him up to You, knowing that the other loved one, who gave of their body so suddenly, is with You today in Paradise. For all those who are part of this miracle, we pray. For all those who love Chris, we ask for strength. For all those who loved the donor, we ask for comfort. For all those who are in Your tender care, we give thanks.
Praise be to God, who loves us so much that He created us in His image! To Him we give Chris, that life may be blessed.
In Jesus name we pray it...
prayer bump
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