Las Vegas NowWaiting For Organ Transplant Leads Some to Desperation

Waiting For Organ Transplant Leads Some to Desperation

Parents would do just about anything to save a child's life. But what if it meant breaking the law? Today. there are more than 106,000 people waiting on a list for organ transplants that could save their lives.

Nineteen people die each day because they did not get a compatible organ in time.

Some parents are willing to do anything it takes to find a kidney for their son. Eyewitness News caught up with a local man handing out a flyer in front of the courthouse. It asks that people with blood type "O" or "B" sign up to be a kidney donor for his son. If there's a match, it also offers a hefty reward.

The desperation for a kidney led one set of parents to the Regional Justice Center. A father handing out the flyers on the street -- the offer, a $20,000 reward for a kidney match.

The family, who does not want to go on camera, says they are trying everything to save their son -- even if it means breaking the law.

Claudia Swift is the Sunrise Transplant Coordinator. "To actually pay for the organ itself, it is illegal," she said. She sees this kind of desperation every day.

"I tell most patients it's like playing the lottery. You play, but you do not expect to win. When you finally get that call -- it's really a shock. Oh my gosh, what do I do," said Swift.

That wait is hard. Martrel Johnson knows. He was one of the most highly rated basketball players in the nation -- in 2001, he played for Durango High School.

He needs a kidney and moved to Wisconsin, because their in-state waiting list is shorter. He understands why the flyer was made.

"My Dad was like that. I am an only child. My dad took it the hardest," he said. Johnson has already had one transplant. Now he's been on the list for a year for another, because the donated kidney from his dad is failing.

"I can understand the wait time because I have been through it before. I was not desperate because my dad was a match. But knowing that -- I don't have anyone that's a match," he said.

Swift says there will always be pressure to pay money for organs.

"More people need than donate," she said.

A donation that for this family could mean the difference between saving a son's life and breaking the law. Under federal law a person can pay for reasonable expenses, like transportation, medical expenses, and lost wages -- just not the organ itself.

Email your comments to Reporter Edward Lawrence.