By: Karenlyn Barone
In less than a month, with the help of good friend and mentor Sister Barbara from Our Lady of Peace parish, a fund-raiser was organized to benefit Danny Callahan, a 21-year-old with Down Syndrome who is in desperate need of a liver transplant. Miller got the Lynbrook Knights of Columbus, St. Mary's Council, donor mother and advocate Claudia Grammatico, Irish step dancers, the Glor Na nGael Pipes and Drums and a host of others to come out and support Callahan - just by saying there was a need.
The fund-raiser, held last Friday, was a glowing success, and will help offset the cost of Callahan's upcoming transplant. Miller said that the proceeds will be directed toward his medical needs that are not covered, both before and after surgery and during his lengthy recovery.
Callahan has been hospitalized with a failing liver. Diagnosed with leukemia at 2, he battled the disease for several years, and was finally cancer-free by his seventh birthday. Then, at 8, he underwent open-heart surgery to repair a congenital heart defect. A true fighter, he made it through the procedure.
But now Callahan is fighting for his life. This year, during a routine gallbladder operation, doctors discovered that he had Hepatitis-C, the result of a blood transfusion. They determined that the disease had irreparably damaged his liver, and he was in need of a transplant as soon as possible. His name has been on the list ever since.
Recently, Callahan's condition has deteriorated. He has been hospitalized at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan numerous times over the past few months, and the doctors say that periodic blood transfusions are the only thing keeping his condition stable.
The news everyone had been waiting for came at the end of October. A liver had been found for Callahan, and surgery was planned. But a few days later, after extensive pre-surgery testing, the attending cardiologist told the family that he believed the risk of cardiac arrest during the transplant was too great to proceed. The doctors are now working on getting Callahan's heart healthy enough for the transplant.
Miller sent an e-mail to friends planning to attend the fund-raiser a week before the event: "Danny is still in the race. He is now at a priority level on the National Organ Donor Transplant list. He waits every day for word of a new liver. Please do not give up your prayers and please come out and support ."
People who know Callahan will tell you that his story is not a sad one. He is a tower of strength. "Danny's spirit will dazzle you, and you will be a better person by spending a moment with him," said Miller. "The benefit was to show him our love and support."
The Knights of Columbus hall, donated for the evening, along with the help of council members who manned the bar and served the food, was packed with well-wishers and generous benefactors. Grand Knight Ralph Macchia said, "It doesn't get much better than this. The first principle of the Knights is charity, and this is the greatest example."
Danny's mother, Marie, was overcome with emotion several times during the night. "There is so much love in this room," she said. "If this love could build a stairway to heaven, we would all be able to climb it tonight."
The biggest thrill of the evening was a surprise appearance by Callahan. With his mother pushing his wheelchair, his brother, Dave, manning the microphone and his sister, Theresa, close at hand, Danny mingled with the guests, thanking them for their support. "Thank you. This is great," he said. "I love it."
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KBarone@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000
ext. 202
Photos by Karenlyn Barone/Herald
