Saved by a Stranger

Summary

Saved by a Stranger is an honest, down-to-earth, informative book inspiring hope, perseverance, and triumph for those who are facing the need for a new organ. Through great storytelling, the author helps patients and caregivers feel empowered as they face the challenges of the unknown.

After battling a rare autoimmune disorder called Primary Schlerosing Cholangitis (PSC) for eighteen years which led to cirrhosis, Lezlee Peterzell Bellanich's husband, Capt. Rob, finally received his life-saving liver transplant on September 10, 2020 at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. Today, he looks and feels like a healthy man with a new engine inside of him.

What were all of the twists and turns that led to where they are now? How does hearing amazing survival stories from other transplant patients provide hope and crucial information to those on the waitlist? How, who, and where do donated organs come from?

Saved by a Stranger unlocks the mystery of organ donation and transplantation through honest storytelling. The author not only describes their family's personal journey, which included relocating from New York to Florida at the beginning of the Covid outbreak, but also features chapters and interviews with other transplant patients and medical professionals in this field. In doing so, she hopes to increase organ donor registration, give hope to those on the transplant waitlist, and encourage all transplant centers to have regular support group meetings like the Mayo Clinic's weekly Second Chance support group for liver and kidney transplant patients and caregivers.