Book Review - Larry's Kidney by Daniel Asa Rose
Category Book Review Daniel Asa Rose Larry's Kidney
I really *am* trying to cut down on the number of books I request/receive for reading and reviewing, as I'm woefully behind. But occasionally someone will cut through my request filters with something that just begs to be read. Daniel Asa Rose pulled this off with his book Larry's Kidney: Being the True Story of How I Found Myself in China with My Black Sheep Cousin and His Mail-Order Bride, Skirting the Law to Get Him a Transplant--and Save His Life. Yes, that's the full title, and it's as quirky as it sounds. Also great fun and emotional, too...
This real-life adventure starts when Daniel gets a call from his cousin Larry. The call is rather extraordinary in itself, as Larry has not been everyone's favorite relative. But Daniel is one of the few who hasn't completely banished him from his life, and hence the request. Larry wants Daniel to accompany him to China, where he's hoping to get a kidney transplant to save his life. Dialysis isn't working so well any more, and Larry is edging ever closer to death. Daniel, an independent writer, has a family and responsibilities, so just jumping on a plane with Larry isn't all that feasible. Add in the fact that kidney transplants are illegal for westerners in China, and Larry has NO idea as to how he'll get one over there. He figures that Daniel can come up with a plan along the way. Against his better judgement, and since Larry *is* family, Daniel decides to head over with Larry to see if they can find this last shot at saving his life. Oh, and by the way, they'll also be picking up Larry's Chinese girlfriend he met online and who he thinks he may want to marry while he's over there. And you thought your life was complicated...
They arrive in China, and Daniel starts following leads and making contacts with anyone who might be able to line up a kidney transplant. Even though the whole issue is illegal, anything can be had for a price if you know the right people. At the last minute before they are planning to leave, the right contacts fall into place, and Larry is whisked to a hospital where he will soon be getting a new kidney from sources that are not quite clear. His Chinese doctor is an expert in the field, and this form of medical tourism is something that he generally is able to get away with. But Larry and Daniel still have to trust a number of people to come through for them in a situation where they don't have any real form of power or recourse should something go wrong. Daniel's struggles with Larry, Larry's struggles with Mary (his girlfriend), and the real identity and purpose of those who have made themselves available to Daniel all make for some interesting and entertaining reading...
There's a lot of material here for readers... Larry is quite the character, with a shady past and a rather unique take on life. The interactions between the two cousins is worth the reading alone. But when you dive a bit deeper, there are heavier questions to consider... the ethics of transplant sources, skirting the law to save a life, cross-cultural love, and many others. It's sad that we are even at a place where the availability of transplant organs is so constrained that the vast majority of people needing one will die before they get to the top of the list. There's also the whole issue of American medical authorities fighting tooth and nail against medical work done in other countries for far less money, adding horror stories of everything that could go wrong "over there", as if our medical system is devoid of errors.
Daniel's Kidney is well worth the read, both for entertainment and for some food for thought.
I really *am* trying to cut down on the number of books I request/receive for reading and reviewing, as I'm woefully behind. But occasionally someone will cut through my request filters with something that just begs to be read. Daniel Asa Rose pulled this off with his book Larry's Kidney: Being the True Story of How I Found Myself in China with My Black Sheep Cousin and His Mail-Order Bride, Skirting the Law to Get Him a Transplant--and Save His Life. Yes, that's the full title, and it's as quirky as it sounds. Also great fun and emotional, too...
This real-life adventure starts when Daniel gets a call from his cousin Larry. The call is rather extraordinary in itself, as Larry has not been everyone's favorite relative. But Daniel is one of the few who hasn't completely banished him from his life, and hence the request. Larry wants Daniel to accompany him to China, where he's hoping to get a kidney transplant to save his life. Dialysis isn't working so well any more, and Larry is edging ever closer to death. Daniel, an independent writer, has a family and responsibilities, so just jumping on a plane with Larry isn't all that feasible. Add in the fact that kidney transplants are illegal for westerners in China, and Larry has NO idea as to how he'll get one over there. He figures that Daniel can come up with a plan along the way. Against his better judgement, and since Larry *is* family, Daniel decides to head over with Larry to see if they can find this last shot at saving his life. Oh, and by the way, they'll also be picking up Larry's Chinese girlfriend he met online and who he thinks he may want to marry while he's over there. And you thought your life was complicated...
They arrive in China, and Daniel starts following leads and making contacts with anyone who might be able to line up a kidney transplant. Even though the whole issue is illegal, anything can be had for a price if you know the right people. At the last minute before they are planning to leave, the right contacts fall into place, and Larry is whisked to a hospital where he will soon be getting a new kidney from sources that are not quite clear. His Chinese doctor is an expert in the field, and this form of medical tourism is something that he generally is able to get away with. But Larry and Daniel still have to trust a number of people to come through for them in a situation where they don't have any real form of power or recourse should something go wrong. Daniel's struggles with Larry, Larry's struggles with Mary (his girlfriend), and the real identity and purpose of those who have made themselves available to Daniel all make for some interesting and entertaining reading...
There's a lot of material here for readers... Larry is quite the character, with a shady past and a rather unique take on life. The interactions between the two cousins is worth the reading alone. But when you dive a bit deeper, there are heavier questions to consider... the ethics of transplant sources, skirting the law to save a life, cross-cultural love, and many others. It's sad that we are even at a place where the availability of transplant organs is so constrained that the vast majority of people needing one will die before they get to the top of the list. There's also the whole issue of American medical authorities fighting tooth and nail against medical work done in other countries for far less money, adding horror stories of everything that could go wrong "over there", as if our medical system is devoid of errors.
Daniel's Kidney is well worth the read, both for entertainment and for some food for thought.
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Posted by Caroline Webster from Kidney Stones in Women At 08:21:17 On 15/09/2010 | - Website - |