Nice guys finish last? Hardly.
Especially if we’re talking about Vanessa Smith, a mother of six, and Peter Brouwer, a father living with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) who needed a liver transplant.
What is Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis?
PSC is a rare disease that mainly affects the bile ducts, both inside and outside the liver, as well as the ducts of the gallbladder and pancreas. The walls of the bile ducts become inflamed, leading to scarring, hardening, and narrowing. And because bile cannot drain properly through the ducts, it accumulates in the liver, where it damages the liver cells. As bile accumulates, it seeps into the bloodstream.
Finally, with long-term cell damage, the liver develops cirrhosis and it can no longer function properly.
In most people, the disease progresses slowly, and a liver transplant is the only known cure.
And this is why Peter Brouwer needed the help of an organ donor, ESPN reports. Peter’s first living donor did not work out, and when Vanessa Smith heard his story, she knew she needed to act.
Vanessa simply explained her decision this way: “Peter was the recipient of my liver because he was the first person I’ve known that needed a liver.”
Social Connections
Altruism is a part of life.
Sharing our energy with other people and showing compassion toward humans—even animals—can lead to happiness. It’s like a straightforward bridge from altruism to happiness.
Far away from money, we have bigger and brighter things to share, like a helping hand.
Sharing things in all forms—kindness, generosity, compassion, volunteering, and donating money—can be favorable for the benefactor AND the recipient.
It’s also crucial to stable and healthy communities, as well as to the well-being of our species as a whole. Still need to be convinced to be kind? Read on.
