Ladies and Gentlemen,

Although our page is dedicated to missing Staten Island teen Arkadiy Tashman, it has always been our goal to do what we can to help preserve life.

I originally posted this video on the bulletin board a few weeks ago and because of the powerful message that the girl in the video, Amanda, is sending, I wanted to post it again to help Donate Life Illinois, and of course Amanda, spread the word about how important it is to consider the thought of becoming a registered organ donor.

Some new friends that I've made and have become close with over the past several months have helped to educate me about the enormous list of people that are currently waiting for life saving transplants.

I would like to commend, not only Amanda for the wonderful job she did with the video, but also Donate Life Illinois for giving her the opportunity to tell her story the way that she did.

After you watch the video, please stop by my page and visit the Donate Life Illinois page by clicking on their icon that is on our list of "Top Friends" as well as the Donate Life America page which you will see there to. We also have a banner that is linked to the New York State Organ Donor Network that we urge everyone to visit as well.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKn-IdsNZ1U

Ladies and gentlemen, I would never ask anybody to do what I would not do myself. The thought of being able to continue to help save lives when the time comes when I am no longer here really means the world to me.

Sweet dreams and love to each and every one of you.

Paul Thompson,
Friends of Arkadiy,
Staten Island, NY
www. myspace. com/friend_of_arkadiy

Happy Holidays from NJ Sharing Network!

My dad, Peter, is 52. He was diagnosed with diabetes 14 years ago. He is a stubborn man who hated taking medicine, visiting dr.'s or taking anyones advice. He refused help and support. In 2004 my father was planting bushes in the yard when we got a sore on his foot. Left untreated, he got a staph infection, then MRSA and ended up having part of the bone in a toe amputated.

From then, he was good for a while. He continued to work and you could see he was starting to feel sick. In September of 06 he was hospitalized due to his blood pressure and the dr.'s mentioned they were a little concerned about his kidneys. They kind of pushed it aside b/c it was not the reason he was in the hospital. After another dr. visit there was talk of possibly needing dialysis in the future so he had a fistula put in his arm. December 26, 2006, my dad got really sick. He was having migraines. he was unable to open his eyes even in the dark. His eye sight was almost completely gone. Within a few days they had decided dialysis was the way to go and on January 23rd he had his first treatment.

2007 was a tough year for our entire family. We had a lot of ups and downs with my dad but stayed as positive as we could. The first 6 months of the year brought many hospital visits and even more doctors appointments.

In May he had 3 stents put in his heart. The cardiologist would not sign off for my dad to be put on the transplant registry. It took a lot of fighting to get an OK. In November 2007 my parents got the call that he was listed and were told it could take 3-5 years before we hear anything. My dad was getting worse, extremely weak and just lost all of his spirit.

Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years came and went and my dad was too weak to celebrate any of it with us. He just sat lifeless on the couch. It was so hard for all us.

On January 4, 2008 my phone was ringing at 4am. I saw my mom's cell number on the caller ID and immediately thought the worst. I answered the phone and she excitedly screamed Dad just got the call, he is getting a Kidney and a Pancreas. They went up to Robert Wood Johnson Hospital where they did a test to confirm that he was indeed a match. By 6pm my father was wheeled into surgery.

Surgery was supposed to be 7-9 hours and he was still in surgery 13 hours later. By 3pm on Saturday he was out of recovery and in his room.

The recovery has been so hard on him. We are taking it one day at a time and hoping for the best. My dad is a fighter. And he has a great support system. We feel so blessed that out family has received this miracle. It all still feels so surreal. My father was given a 2nd chance at life and we are all so very greatful.

Tara