80's band Twisted Sister is dealing with a member that needs a liver transplant but can't afford it.
Charlie Barreca is the sound man for the group, and considered the "sixth" sister by everyone in the band.
They're doing what they can to help him, including a benefit concert at Philadelphia's Electric Factory (it's a bar, not the local utility)
They are also accepting donations of any size. If you were a fan of their music and want to show you're appreciation you can send a buck or two to the following address.
Charlie Barreca c/o American Liver Foundation Transplant Trust Fund 1425 Pompton Avenue Cedar Grove, NJ 07009
While you're at it, even if you can't afford to throw a buck his way, you can always become an organ donor. Once he has enough money to be listed on the liver transplant waiting list, he has to wait for a suitable liver and his turn to come up. There are currently 17,390 people waiting for a liver. If you're not an organ donor, please sign up to become one today.
Also, keep in mind the type of expenses he has to go through at the moment. First, if he has insurance, he still has to come up with his portion of the expense before he can be listed. Even 10% of the cost of a transplant is thousands of dollars. Also, he has tons of doctor's visits, so copays and deductibles alone can be overwhelming. And the anti-rejection drugs he'll be on after the transplant also can cost thousands of dollars each month. So, every little bit anyone can donate does count.
Many states now have online donor registration. If you're not sure, let me know, and I can look it up for you. Also, if anyone needs a donor card, let me know, and I can send you one (or more!).
You can't sign up online in Wisconsin, but you can be an organ donor by indiccating so on your driver's license. Also in Wisconsin, living donors can deduct up to $10,000 on thier taxes for travel, lodging and lost wages.
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