California man offers truck, trailer and even kidney to anyone who can help save dying wife
A man from California has offered up his trailer, a truck and even one of his kidneys to anyone who could help save his wife's life.
The man, Verlon Robinson, took to Facebook in an effort to ask for help last week and in a post wrote that he is offering to give up his 2004 Dodge pickup truck and a tent trailer to anyone who would be willing to donate a piece of their liver to his sick wife, Marie Robinson, who has a liver condition.
Robinson, in his post, added a postscript and said that he has "good kidneys" and would also be willing to "throw in one" of them in exchange for the liver donation.
Reports state that Marie Robinson's doctor, nearly three years ago, noticed some spots on her chest and she was later diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver after a few tests.
The condition occurs when a liver is damaged and begins forming scar tissue.
According to the Mayo Clinic, the more scar tissues on a liver, the less functional the organ becomes.
Verlon, while talking to Fox News on Tuesday, said that he and his wife had been married for 25 years and he cannot imagine a life without her.
The couple reportedly often travel from their home in Sanger, California to San Francisco, which is over three hours away, for doctors' appointments and tests.
Verlon said that his wife is on a transplant list, however, she isn't high enough on the list yet to receive a liver from an organ donor who has died. Marie is also diabetic and has recently lost nearly 70 pounds.
The husband is worried that by the time she reaches high enough on the transplant list, she could be out of time. Therefore, instead of waiting for her to climb up the list, Verlon has decided to take matters into his own hand. He has asked people who have O-positive or O-negative blood type to apply to the UCSF Medical Center to check if they qualify to donate a piece of their liver to his wife.
Verlon also added that the procedure would be covered under his insurance, according to reports.
“I just love my wife. If I could take her place, I would,” Verlon Robinson told Fox News. “I believe God put her in my life and changed me and gave me a new heart for life.”
According to the UCSF Medical Center, a living donor can give a piece of their liver to a recipient as the particular organ has the ability to regenerate and grow. Livers can reportedly regenerate within eight weeks.
The medical center states that a donor must be between the age of 18 and 55 and must be in good health, not overweight, no psychiatric illnesses and no smoking habits. The center also adds that the donation must not be coerced and has to be given only as a gift.
Ever since Verlon's Facebook post was picked up by KMPH-TV, he has reportedly been flooded with messages from across the country. He said that some of those people have also applied to the medical center to see if they can donate while others have shared messages of encouragement.
There are many others who have said that if they turn out to be a match for his wife, they will not take his truck.
"It’s turned my life upside down," Verlon added, referring to all the support he has been receiving.