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BARBARA ANN
KARMAN O S
CANCER INSTITUTE
The Detroit Medical Center
Wayne State University
Cancer
Prevention Tips
■ Eat foods high in fiber
and low in fat
■ Include fresh fruits,
vegetables and whole
grain cereals in your diet
Hermelin
Family
■ If you drink alcoholic
beverages, do so only in
moderation
■ Don't smoke or use
tobacco in any form
■ Avoid unnecessary X-rays
■ Avoid too much sunlight;
use sunscreens
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each, introducing myself as a nurse
who works with families of the severely
ill. I went with them into the intensive
care unit, stayed with them while they
spoke to the doctors. I brought them
drinks, showed the observant where to
go for minyan. What I did was build a
human connection. Yes, I had an ulteri-
or motive, but I also did it for its own
sake. That's part of a nurse's job."
One of last month's potential
donors was a 19-year-old woman
doing her military service. She had
suffered a brain aneurysm and had no
chance for recovery.
"Her parents were Russian immi-
grants," Gotthold said. "I spent several
days with them, trying to help them
come to terms with the approaching loss
of their daughter. Once the hospital
committee formally declared this beauti-
ful girl brain-dead, I brought up organ
donation. The parents wept. I waited till
they were calmer, and then said, 'You've
told me so often these past few days
how wonderful a girl she is, how all she
ever wanted to do was help others. If
you could ask her now, don't you think
she'd take this last chance to help?' They
agreed to donate her organs."
Another patient that month was a
70-year-old Chasidic Jew. "He'd been
hit by a bus, and was already brain-dead
when he was brought to the hospital,"
Gotthold said. "I spent a lot of time
with his wife and four grown children.
With one son in particular, I connected
very well and it was with him that I first
raised donating his father's organs..
"What will happen if we agree?' he
asked. I gave him the details, finishing
with, 'And you'll have the mitzvah of
saving a life.' He took the suggestion
to his mother and siblings. Their reac-
tion: 'How can you even think of it
without asking the rebbe!' Well, their
rebbe has never yet agreed to organ
donation and he didn't on this occa-
sion either."
Observant Muslims have been as
implacably opposed to organ donation
as Orthodox Jews. Two of Gotthold's
successes, however, have been with
Muslim families.
Gotthold believes in securing agree-
ment from the widest family consensus
as possible to prevent destructive
recriminations later. "Even if the brain-
dead patient has a signed Organ Donor
Card, I still seek the family's consent."
Gotthold, herself religiously obser-
vant, is one of only 130,000 Israelis
with signed donor cards. "It's some-
thing I believe in passionately. I think
that my total conviction helps me per-
suade others." ❑