Friday, March 10, 2006
Anderson Cooper: son still waits for father's kidney
"Imagine counting on your dad to come through for you. Sure, he hasn't been there for you most of your life, having been in prison for seven years on a bank robbery conviction. But now, he's promised to donate a kidney, raising your hope just a little.
That's how relatives of 16-year-old Destin Perkins describe the teenager's emotional predicament.
Last year, Destin's mother gave him one of her kidneys, but his body rejected it. His father, Byron Perkins, offered his, but is now on the run with his fugitive girlfriend, Lee Ann Howard.
So all Destin can do is wait.
If his father is captured or gives himself up and still agrees to donate his donate his kidney, Destin says he'll take it gladly.
If not, his doctors at Kosair Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky, say they won't even consider a transplant for months. They would first look to other relatives. Mainly, they say, Destin needs a good dose of emotional strength to rebound.
"Right now, the family's gone through a lot of psychological strain," says Dr. Larry Shoemaker. "We"re trying to get Destin back to a regular dialysis program."
The fugitive father and his girlfriend are now on the U.S. Marshals 15 Most Wanted List. There is a $25,000 reward for information leading to their capture.
Posted By Susan Candiotti, CNN Correspondent: 9:48 AM "
That's how relatives of 16-year-old Destin Perkins describe the teenager's emotional predicament.
Last year, Destin's mother gave him one of her kidneys, but his body rejected it. His father, Byron Perkins, offered his, but is now on the run with his fugitive girlfriend, Lee Ann Howard.
So all Destin can do is wait.
If his father is captured or gives himself up and still agrees to donate his donate his kidney, Destin says he'll take it gladly.
If not, his doctors at Kosair Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky, say they won't even consider a transplant for months. They would first look to other relatives. Mainly, they say, Destin needs a good dose of emotional strength to rebound.
"Right now, the family's gone through a lot of psychological strain," says Dr. Larry Shoemaker. "We"re trying to get Destin back to a regular dialysis program."
The fugitive father and his girlfriend are now on the U.S. Marshals 15 Most Wanted List. There is a $25,000 reward for information leading to their capture.
Posted By Susan Candiotti, CNN Correspondent: 9:48 AM "
