BENTON WOMAN ADDED TO TRANSPLANT LIST FOR NEW LIVER

BENTON -- Fourteen years ago, no one would have guessed that Ann Grimes, 54, of Benton would need a liver transplant today.

But Grimes, who has a rare liver disorder, was just added to the list of people who need a transplant. It could be a year before a matching liver is found.

Her daughters, Tammy Mathews and Denise Hency, hope to collect enough money to pay for the liver transplant when it's needed.

"The operation costs a quarter of a million dollars," Mathews said. "And that doesn't include anything else."

Medications after the surgery could cost as much as $1,600 each day, she added.

Grimes was diagnosed with the liver disease about 14 years ago but didn't begin showing any symptoms until May. There is no known cause for the disease which is known to strike women in the late 30s and 40s. Until two years ago there was little cure, Mathews said.

The liver is a small but essential organ that performs more than 50 different functions.

Transplants are the best cure, but must often wait until a perfect liver match is found. Once a person is placed on the transplant list, they can wait as long as a year before the surgery.

Grimes and her husband are self-employed and can't afford the $25,000 transplant surgery, so a benefit auction and dance are being planned for her at the American Legion Hall in Chaffee on July 20.

Crafts, gift certificates, a television set and other items will be auctioned off during the evening. "We're looking for anything people can donate," Mathews said.

To donate any craft of item to the auction, contact Mathews at 264-2659. Donations also can be made to a trust fund at the First National Bank in Chaffee.