About organ donation on the show "Hawaii Five-0"

Those of you who watch Alex’s current show "Hawaii Five-0“, hopefully enjoyed the season 6 finale (2016) in which Alex’s character Steve received half of Danno's liver after Steve's liver was seriously damaged by a gun-shot. For those of you who don't watch the show - Danno is Steve's partner in the Five-0 taskforce and a very close friend. Like brothers, both would do anything to help and save each other.

Since there has been some controversy in the fandom about this organ donation, and some fans even called it stupid and too unrealistic, I would like to say and clarify a few things.
First of all, let me point out that any time the show integrates the topic of organ donation (which it has done repeatedly over the years), is a very good time, because it’s important to discuss organ donation and to get people talking and informed about the benefits and life-saving effects of organ donation. Yes, there are risks involved but the positive effects more than prevail.
Would the a.m. fans seriously have preferred to see Steve die? That would have been the only other "option" for him!

Some fans had no idea that living donors can donate half of their liver because livers grow back. This is, indeed, a fact and not unrealistic.

Some fans wrote back then that Steve won’t be able to do his job, anymore, and his body might reject Danno’s liver and that Steve will have to take medication for the rest of his life. While some of this is true because organ recipients actually have to take medication regularly (and, yes, there is, admittedly, the risk of transplant rejection), it is not true that organ recipients cannot work or live a relatively normal life – even more so if they were healthy before the transplantation and needed the transplant because an organ was damaged in an accident, as in the case of Steve. He’s likely to recover much faster than someone who needed a transplant due to an illness that may have weakened the body over many years.

Below are some REAL-life stories of liver recipients who have experienced a huge positive impact in their lives thanks to organ donation. All of them lead a very good, active life!

The real-life story of olympic medalist Chris Klug is definitely very encouraging and a great example of what organ recipients can achieve after a successful liver transplant - although, of course, most of them won't become olympic medalists ;-)
http://chrisklug.com/organ-transplant/

On this page you'll find various encouraging stories of organ recipients who've often lived decades with their transplant and enjoy life the best they can. Take a look:
https://www.organdonor.gov/statistics-stories/donation-stories/caitlin-liver-recipient.html
https://www.organdonor.gov/statistics-stories/donation-stories/kelly-liver-recipient.html
https://www.organdonor.gov/statistics-stories/donation-stories/khalieghya-liver-recipient.html
https://www.organdonor.gov/statistics-stories/donation-stories/amelia-liver-recipient.html
 

Please share this post and the encouraging stories above – especially with fellow fans who commented negatively on social media about the organ donation on the show.

I'd like to add that, personally, I loved the ending of the season 6 finale with the organ donation - and, fortunately, the majority of the fans did, too.

While the organ donation in the Season 6 finale was the most special one ever dealt with on the show since it happened between two of the main characters and, thus, was very personal, there have been past episodes dealing with the topic of organ donation, too.
In one of the early seasons, an organ was stolen on the way to its recipient to prevent that person from appearing in court. Luckily, Steve's Five-0 task-force managed to get back the organ just in time for the transplantation. But it became very clear that a life was at stake and that the organ was needed to save that life.
In another episode (5.04), a contract killer for the mafia, turns his life around after receiving a life-saving heart transplant. After getting this second chance at life, he becomes a "good" guy and saves the people he's supposed to kill, by setting up a refuge for them in distant Hawaii where they can hide. While the story may have been a bit "overdone", I loved it and thought it was a great way to incorporate the topic of organ donation on the show.
Last but not least, Danno saved another life on the show before by donating bone marrow to his little son.

Overall, the show has done pretty good at drawing attention to organ donation and will certainly continue to do so - not least because of the organ donation between the main characters. The fact that Steve and Danno share an organ will certainly keep influencing their future life and work together.

For further information about living donor transplants, please follow this page:
https://www.facebook.com/livingdonortransplant/

Thanks for reading!

Angie
Head/Admin: https://www.facebook.com/AlexOLoughlinFansforOrganDonation
Co-admin: https://www.facebook.com/DAlexOLoughlinFansFOrganspende/ (Admin: Silke)
 

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