United HealthCare, God, and a Life-Saving Liver Transplant

In The Sheepdog's opinion, it appears United HealthCare (UHC) thinks it's no longer in the health insurance business. Instead, it's received a promotion into the business of being God. However, don't take my word for it, just ask 38-year-old mother of one, Erika Zak. UHC has put her through as much hell as cancer did.

Location of human liver - credit Wikipedia

Diagnosed with colorectal cancer, Erika endured more than 70 rounds of chemo and various other treatments which resulted in serious side effects, including damage to her liver and subsequent liver failure.

Over 100 doctors from the country's top medical centers concur that Erika's only hope for survival at this point is a life-saving liver transplant. Yet, UHC denied coverage saying, "unproven health services is not a covered benefit". Really? Despite the fact that transplants have saved thousands of lives in the U.S. for decades, UHC refers to transplant as "unproven". Science, medical technology, and thousands of transplant recipients across the country, including The Sheepdog, prove otherwise.

The Sheepdog has seen a lot in his time, but the way UHC treated this woman and played GOD with her life, stringing her along for months, may be the most cold hearted thing I've heard of an insurance company doing. I suspect others have experienced similar agony, though.

Teachers Do Amazing Things

Reynoldsburg, OH city hall (credit: Wikipedia)

We often hear stories of teachers doing truly amazing things with, and for, their students. Heck, if I had a dollar for every time I've heard one of my friends in the education profession refer to their students as their "kids", The Sheepdog would be, to borrow a line from the boys in the band Warrant, "Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich". 

10-year-old Eva suffers from a rare disease known as collapsing FSGS. Due to the devastating effects of the disease, Eva needed a kidney transplant. Guess who stepped up to be her living donor "hero"? Yep, you guessed it - a 4th grade teacher, Tanya Thomas, at Eva's school.

The entire story can be watched in the video embedded below, or it can be watched or the entire story, "Reynoldsburg Teacher to Donate Kidney to Student", read on nbc4i.com here. The heartwarming story is more evidence of how much teachers love students and how organ donation saves lives. For information on organ donation, including how to register in the state where you live, please visit the Donate Life America website by clicking here.



P.S. Don't forget - The Sheepdog has a new Facebook page. You're invited to visit it and "Like" it here.

Liver Transplant Gives 8-Year-Old Girl Second Chance

Willow Clayton, 8, from Indiana recently received a life-saving liver transplant after being born with Biliary Artesia. It's a disease that prevents the body from riding itself of toxins, and it threatened to end her young life.

Willow's only hope was a liver transplant, and her story is more evidence of how well the miracle of organ transplantation works. The news video of her amazing story is embedded below, or can be watched by clicking here.

Or, you can read the full article ("8-Year-Old's Life Changed Forever After Organ Donation") on wishtv.com by clicking here.

For more information on organ and tissue donation, including how you can register as a donor in the state where you live, please click on the Donate Life America logo within this post.



Also, as a reminder, The Second Chance Sheepdog is now on Facebook here.

An Ode to the Nashville Transit System

credit

WOW!!

I'm kinda shocked. On May 1st, the people of Nashville crushed the proposed $9 Billion transit plan. The margin of vote was 65% against the project which would have taken a decade or so to build and would ultimately do nothing to cure the city's traffic ills.

The people rising up against the power brokers who were looking to line their pockets from the plan was a thing of beauty. The Sheepdog's first reaction was, in the words of Tyler Perry's Madea, "Hallelujer!!", because the plan would have exacerbated the traffic problems while under construction. 

Plus, considering how much debt the city's last 3 mayors have piled on the city's taxpayers, I think it's possible bankruptcy might have been looming in the city's future, if the project had been approved. Having a number of friends who work for the city, that would not have been good for them.

So, today, in my 1st post back, I offer "An Ode to the Nashville Transit Plan" via AC/DC's classic "Shot Down In Flames", which is embedded below or can be watched by clicking here.

Power to the people!! Hallelujer!!