ORGAN DONATIONS

Just do it -- you may just save a life one day

It saddened me to read Laurie Stern's commentary on organ donations ("If you could give a kidney, would you?" July 27). Her statement that the system isn't set up to help donors or recipients wasn't true in our case.

A few weeks ago, my husband received a kidney. I was tested as a donor at the University of Minnesota Transplant Center, as was our daughter. Our son was a match, and the surgery took place two weeks later. There was absolutely no cost to any of us as willing donors for the screening, testing, labs, drugs, evaluating, etc. Our parking was even paid. The surgery was successful. The donor left the hospital two days following surgery and was out walking and playing with his three young children within a week.

We have the utmost respect and admiration for the Transplant Center staff and the U surgical team and staff. The care, concern and follow-up was and is outstanding. The system we encountered was set up to help the donors and recipients. Most of us are able to live a full life with one kidney. Donating a kidney saves a life -- a life free of dialysis.

CHERIE COOPER, MINNEAPOLIS

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MITT ROMNEY

Yes, he's wealthy, but can't we just move on?

Why are we so upset about Romney's wealth? Are we jealous? Is this not what we would wish for ourselves? Let's look at the positives. Isn't it wonderful that a very rich man wants to be president of the United States? He knows how to create wealth, which is just what our economy needs. Romney's been there and done that and is ready and willing to give us all the chance to improve our lives. I, for one, would love to be rich (though I'm not even close) -- surely it's a plus, not a negative.

BARBARA A. HOULE, PRIOR LAKE

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RAOUL WALLENBERG

In efforts to save Jews, no man was an island

While remembering and honoring Raoul Wallenberg, we shouldn't forget those who helped him to accomplish his mission, including two of his colleagues at the Swedish Embassy in Budapest, Per Anger and Carl Ivan Danielsonn, and Pal Szalai, "the Hungarian Schindler," to name one person among the dozens of Hungarian friends, acquaintances and officials with whom Wallenberg worked. The names of the two Swedish diplomats appear next to that of Wallenberg on the commemorative plaque on the faade of the building that used to be the Swedish Embassy in Budapest. Pal Szalai, a high-ranking member of the police force, was instrumental in preventing the liquidation of the Jewish ghetto in Budapest, ordered by Eichmann, in the closing weeks of the siege of the city. In 2008, Israel's Yad Washem Institute granted him the title of "Righteous Among the Nations."

GEZA SIMON, MINNEAPOLIS