How nice to see the story on the front page of Sept. 4 about Alice Lewis and her kidney transplant. And the support group at Pocono Medical Center.

    My daughter was diagnosed with Burgus disease last February, and is now waiting for a kidney. She joined the support group and I can't begin to tell you how helpful and supportive they have been. She has gotten to talk to others in the same boat and has learned more about what to expect with dialysis and transplant. They have been very informative to us all. Their hard work and great support should be praised to the sky and more should be told about the good work these volunteers do.

    We tried to get a live donor for my daughter, who is 37 and has two young children. But the family members who matched have high blood pressure and can't donate, and my son does not match, so she will have to go on the waiting list and eventually go on dialysis.

    It's been hard on the children and the family, but at least she has the support group, and the love and support of her family to help her through. More people should be made aware of the importance of becoming an organ donor. It's sad, I know. The thought of losing a loved one causes pain, but think of the good their organs can do for another family's loved one. The thought that some part of the loved one can live on in someone else and give them a better quality of life should bring some peace and consolation to those that have lost a loved one.

    Thank you and congratulations to Alice Lewis, whom I wish good health.

Judy Bellman
East Stroudsburg, PA USA

This story appeared on page A-7, Monday, September 17, 2001 in the Your Opinions column of the Pocono Record.