Samaritan donor seeks out ill man who needs a transplant

Liver recipient Munoz, left, says Bludworth 'is an angel'

May 19, 2000
Web posted at: 10:45 p.m. EDT (0245 GMT)

LOS ANGELES (CNN) -- What made a 33-year-old Atlanta man decide he should find someone who needed part of his liver?

"I have a very wonderful life myself, and I just wanted to help somebody else to have a chance to get a grip on theirs," said Curt Bludworth.

He found 53-year-old Ray Munoz of Los Angeles, who had been on a waiting list for a new liver for two years.

So Bludworth gave a portion of his liver to Munoz, someone he did not know who suffered from hepatitis C of the liver.

AUDIO Bludworth explains his motivation for donating part of his liver 358K/17 sec. AIFF or WAV sound Munoz and Bludworth describe the first meeting after the transplant surgery 149K/8 sec. AIFF or WAV sound Lead surgeon Rick Selby describes the transplant procedure 260K/12 sec. AIFF or WAV sound    VIDEO CNN's Rhonda Rowland reports only a handful of centers in the United States do living donor liver transplants. (July 21, 1999) Windows Media 28K 80K

"To me he's an angel," Munoz said.

Bludworth came up with his idea after reading an article about a woman who donated a part of her liver to her ill child. Inspired to do something similar, he researched the subject on the Internet and found Dr. Rick Selby, head of the transplant team at University Hospital at the University of Southern California.

Selby led Bludworth to Munoz.

Surgeons at USC University Hospital say they prefer transplants from brain-dead donors because there is no risk to a healthy person that way. But with the severe shortage of donors, live liver transplants offer another option.

The 11-hour-long liver transplant surgery involving Bludworth and Munoz took place May 12 at University Hospital.

Selby praised Bludworth's giving spirit, and described how what the Georgian was giving up was much more than a little piece of his liver.

"When the donor gives the right lobe, they give more than half of their liver, probably about 55 or 60 percent," he said. The transplant is possible because "the liver regenerates over the course of about a month and a half, to near complete size, in both the donor and the recipient," Selby said.

Donor and recipient met for the first time two days after their surgery.

Munoz and his family are all smiles after the liver transplant surgery

"We just hugged and I thanked him with all my heart," Munoz said.

"And I asked him how my liver (was) treating him," Bludworth said.

Bludworth works for a food service company which gave him paid time off and helped fly his mother to Los Angeles for the surgery.

The opportunity to give life to a stranger has given Bludworth a focus. His short-term goal "was to save Ray's life. My long term goal is ... to start a foundation to help people have the means to come forward to do this."

Provided there are no unforeseen complications, Bludworth will return home to Georgia in 10 days and Munoz may be back with his family in five.

Correspondent Jennifer Auther contributed to this report.

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