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.
Great news! Thanks!
This is a great message for us all this Super Sunday.
Praise Him!
Keep the good news coming. I love it!
BTTT!!!!!
BTTT!!!!!!
Thanks for the update, Mike.
Another testament to the power of prayer.
Matthew 18:20
Thank you, Lord, for being there in our midst.
For those of us who cannot attend the party, I hope someone can post a few pictures afterward. This Sunday morning, there is more reason to give thanks to God and everyone else for this great American and his family!
Thanks for serving Chris. Thanks.
Great news! I will continue to pray for Chris' continued healing and for his entire family.
Marines do look after their own, but it's more than that. It's all of his active serving, no longer active serving brothers/sisters in uniform, the wives mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, of all of them (pretty well covers FR huh) calling on the name of the Lord never ceasingly and walking in the way of the Lord.
Lamentations 3: 22-23 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning; Great is Thy faithfulness.
Excellent good news bump. Prayers continue for all.
I am praying for your recovery! God Bless you and your loved ones.
May you soon be back on your feet and be able to do your work with gusto!
And thank-you for your service to this Country!
May the Lord heal your body!!!
God bless you! And God Bless America!
LadyPilgrim
Prayers up for Cpl. Blue.
God Bless you Marine and Thank you. This is a Direct Order Little Brother from an U. S. Air Force Ssgt of long ago. You and Melany take good care of each other. You Both have done good for America.
I don't know if any other FReepers are going to be there. I have been sick for over a week, but I think I feel well enough to go. Unfortunately, I do not have a functioning digital camera, so I don't know that there will be any pictures.
We are proud you serve.
Semper Fi
Freepers make great guardian angels. Get well soon. floriduh voter
Now it's my turn, Doug. Thanks for the update! And thanks to all of the folks that showed up to support the Marines in general and Chris & Melany in particular. Isn't she just a great person? Chris is a very lucky man (in more ways than one)! Wish I could have been there to buy the guys a few beers myself.
You've really got me curious about the Syrian story though...
Cajun Mike
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.