Better than the rest of us??

I am sure you have probably heard that Natalie Cole (daughter of Nat King Cole) after being diagnosed with Hepatitis C is now suffering from kidney failure. I feel bad for her, I do. Nobody should ever after to go such a horrible thing. If she doesn't get a kidney transplant, if means she will require regular dialysis until a kidney is received. So, she should do what the rest of us would have the option of: get family tested and go on the national donor list, right? Not quite.

Cole decided to take her story to the masses, appearing on CNN's "Larry King Live". Even before the show was over, she had dozens of email offers to get tested and see if they are a match to donate a kidney. Acts of random kindness, right? To me --- wrong. These are the same people who won't even donate a pint of blood to help others, but are all the sudden willing to donate a kidney to help Cole. I am not getting how this makes sense.

What really bothers me, is Cole is "deciding on whether to take people up on their generous offers." I can pretty much guarantee that if I walked up to the same person that is offering Cole a organ, and asked for one for myself, they would promptly tell me where to stick it. Why is Cole any different. Should the people on the transplant list, some who have been waiting for YEARS to have the surgery, be punished for not being born to someone famous? Next thing you know, Cole will be over in China, looking for a match of a Kidney on the Black Market.

I really hope Cole gets a transplant and gets better. I never wish a harmful fate on anyone. But I also hope that she does it in a way that respects the thousands already waiting for the few treasured transplant organs that are available each year. Oh, and a reminder, if you do not have the donor dot on your driver's license, get one.