Plead for A Liver Transplant For Ruby Campbell-Pulliam
Below is a letter from Melanie L. Campbell:
Dear Reverend Sharpton,
I am writing on behalf of my family to thank you for reaching out as we are seeking you and the National Action Network’s (NAN) help in our effort to save our sister, Ruby Campbell-Pulliam, who was diagnosed with end-stage liver disease w/hepatitis about 45 days ago.
We have been told Ruby has to wait 6 months before she is eligible to be added to the liver donor transplant list due to her alcoholism disease. The doctors are telling us Ruby has possibly 3 -6 months to live unless she gets a liver transplant very soon. Our family has not found any medical reason for this 6-month general rule. Our family believes it is inhumane to deny Ruby or any other human being that has a disease like alcoholism, a second chance at life that a liver transplant can provide. (See Attachment A–Recent article on this issue)
Also, Ruby has been in a physically and emotionally abusive relationship with her husband in Dallas, TX for a number of years that we believe was a major factor in her depression that was a mitigating reason for her closet alcoholism. Her husband has deserted Ruby and has even threatened to divorce Ruby to protect his assets if they are needed financially to save her. Ruby is now in Florida in the hospital in Florida away from an unhealthy environment and is surrounded by family and friends to do all we can to love and support her. (See Attachment B)
The domestic violence community in Florida and D.C. communities are advocating for the liver transplant community to give Ruby a second chance at life by adding her to the liver transplant list as a priority. Please see attached a letter we received from Melody Keeth, Executive Director, Serene Harbor, in Brevard County, Florida that we are submitting to as many liver transplant centers that we can in Florida and across the country. (See Attachment C)
We urgently need your help finding a liver transplant and/or stem cell research hospital in the U.S. or abroad that will take her case due to her mitigating circumstances of depression, being a domestic violence victim; and that it is highly likely she does not have 6 months to wait or she will die. We are also praying we can get one of the hospitals to test our family members willing to be live liver donors (including me) to see if we can provide her with a life saving liver transplant.
Ruby is currently in Kindred Hospital in Melbourne, FL, staying in the fight with a quiet strength, dignity and unwavering faith that is truly amazing to the hospital and our family. The doctors at Kindred Hospital are working around the clock to try to slow this disease down to give Ruby a chance at living long enough to receive a liver transplant. We urgently need the help of you and the NAN family (national and state chapters) to do all we can to give Ruby a second chance at life in the following ways:
- Help us plead Ruby’s case with liver transplant donor community to approve Ruby to be put on liver transplant list immediately as a priority and/or accept her as stem cell liver research candidate.
- Help us plead Ruby’s case with the liver transplant hospitals to approve Ruby for liver transplant or stem cell research candidate immediately including: Miami Jackson Hospital; Florida Hospital in Orlando; Tampa General Hospital; Shands Hospital in Gainsville & Jacksonville, FL; New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center; University of Pittsburgh Medical Center ; Mayo Clinic in Minnesota; Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore; Georgetown University Hospital or any other hospitals that would consider her case.
Finally, we implore the NAN to help us to challenge the medical community to understand that the 6-month rule for liver transplants for alcoholism (which is a disease) is inhumane and rescind their policy to at least allow families to be tested to be live liver donors if they are willing and compatible without having to wait 6 months, especially when it is a life or death situation like Ruby’s case.
Rev. Al we don’t know if we will be able to save our sister Ruby. We do know without a shadow of a doubt if it is God’s will the doors will be opened for Ruby to be granted a new liver. We are holding on to our faith and believing in God’s word, “knock and the door will be answered. Seek and ye shall find.” We pray that Ruby’s story will save another family from having to go through the pain of watching a loved one possibly die without even being granted the opportunity to save them as a live liver donor.
Lastly, we want you to know that Ruby has been a foot soldier in the civil rights, human rights, women’s rights and social justice movement all of her life. We pray that justice will prevail in Ruby’s case and for others facing this type of injustice in the medical community.
We thank you and the NAN family again for your support and continued prayers for God’s grace, mercy and healing for Ruby and so many others facing such a life-threatening crisis in their lives as end-stage liver disease.
I am serving as Ruby’s legal and medical power of attorney and can speak with anyone needing additional information. I can be reached at (202) 641-2605 (blackberry) or [email protected].
We appreciate you much for your consideration of our request for help.
Peace and Blessings,
Melanie
Melanie L. Campbell