The Military Family Network at eMilitary.org
Help urgently needed for combat Marine veteran
Story by – Marine Corps News Staff
2005-01-28MARINE CORPS AIR GROUND COMBAT CENTER TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. (Jan. 28, 2005) — A Marine veteran recently returned in September from a successful combat tour in Iraq only to begin a battle for his own life in the United States.
Lance Cpl. Christopher R. LeBleu, a native of Lake Charles, La., is currently in very critical condition in Loma Linda University Hospital, Calif., for an unexplained complete liver failure.
LeBleu returned from Iraq Sept. 9, 2004 where he conducted support and stabilization operations as a rifleman with 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment. The month after his return to the United States, he married his hometown sweetheart, Melany.
The 22-year-old Marine is not expected to live through February, according to the attending physician, Dr. Kenney Ruh. However, LeBleu may recover if a new liver is found, added Ruh.
A liver donor is desperately needed to save LeBleu. Julie Smith, LLUH public affairs, said that the only thing needed for a liver donor is to have a matching blood type. LeBleu is O-positive.
He’s at Loma Linda Medical Center, where they perform transplants like this. He needs a “whole-liver” transplant rather than a partial, so it requires a deceased donor.
As a Lance Corporal, he cannot afford billboards to heighten awareness, so consider this my billboard for him.
Hey Gruntdoc…just curious. In path now…but I’m not finding why he can’t just have a partial liver transplant. What’s the difference? It seems some good liver is better than no liver at all…
If you can explain, thanks!!
I really don’t know why a whole vs. partial, unless perhaps there’s an infectious component and they cannot leave any native liver behind to infect the now one.
That’s a great big SWAG, is all.
Morning Doc,
That young Marine received a liver, see the report in this am Housron Chronicle online.