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02/01/2018 11:54 AMA 43 year-old New Haven resident with few resources, Jose Santini is desperately seeking a living organ donor match to provide him with a life-saving liver transplant. His friends at BHCare Clothing Bank in Branford, including coordinator Joan McFarlane and volunteer Cindy George, have reached out to Zip06/The Sound to spread the word that Santini needs to find a match.
"He's a very humble person. He's very generous and thoughtful," said George. "He's a family man, he's a young man. He deserves this."
Santini and his wife have become familiar faces to all of the volunteers staffing BHCare Clothing Bank, which shares space with the Community Dining Room (CDR) at Branford's Patricia C. Andriole Volunteer Services Center at 30 Harrison Ave.
The clothing bank is an outreach effort of BHCare, which is licensed by the Dept. of Public Health to assist shoreline residents with services pertaining to mental health, addiction, domestic violence and children's issues.
Santini has participated as a member of the BHCare Clothing Bank for two years, often also stopping by CDR for meals as part of those visits. He said George befriended him, and that's why he shared his story.
"I told her my condition, that I'm on medication and I need a liver, because I've got cirrhosis in my liver and its damaged," said Santini.
Santini said his liver was damaged by years of abusive habits, but he's since turned his life around.
"I just want to live," he said. "I've been clean the last eight years. I'm a Christian, and I thank the Lord Jesus Christ."
Santini didn't realize his condition was dire until he underwent a biopsy several years ago, due to a small spot found on his liver. He was told he would need a liver transplant from a donor matching his blood type, O positive.
That was five years ago. Since that time, Santini has been on Yale-New Haven Hospital's transplant referral list. He said he has the referral program's phone number memorized and is waiting for the day when he will see it appear on his phone.
"Every day, for five years, I've been waiting for the phone call – I know the number, but I've never seen it," he said.
The referral program is part of Yale-New Haven Hospital's Center for Living Organ Donors program. The program evaluates potential organ donors (generally, at least 21 years of age) for eligibility. It provides care throughout the donation process and a lifetime of medical monitoring (learn more here).
After surgery to remove a portion of liver from a living donor's lobe; the remaining lobe will fully regenerate.
"They tell me it's a small cut, not even five inches, and they just need a little piece," said Santini. "I just pray to God [a donor] would help me, every day."
The disease's progressive damage is taking its toll, making the need for a donor more urgent than ever. In the meantime, Santini said he will continue to do his best get by with medication, living "day by day."
"It's like a rollercoaster. Sometimes I've got energy; sometimes, I feel shot," said Santini.
He adds he's thankful for any assistance that could lead to finding a donor match, including the efforts of his friends at BHCare Clothing Bank.
"I've just got to keep the faith," he said.
Interested potential donors are asked contact Yale-New Haven Hospital Liver and Kidney Transplant Referral program at 1-866-925-3897; please refer to Jose Santini when calling.