Natalie Cole was diagnosed with Hepatitis C in February 2008, and her kidneys have failed as a result. She blames her heavy drug use in the 70s and 80s, and her treatment for Hepatitis may have also led to the failure. Although she toured last year despite her illness, she has been looking for a donor. She mentioned this February that her son may be a potential donor, but either he wasn’t a match or he decided not to go through with the procedure, because Natalie went on Larry King this Tuesday and announced that if she didn’t get a donor, she would be on dialysis for the rest of her life.
During and after the show, CNN was “inundated” with viewers’ offers to get tested to see if they could give Cole their kidneys.
Natalie Cole’s fans want to give her a kidney. The 59-year-old singer told Larry King on Tuesday that she was diagnosed with kidney failure, and while she was till on his CNN show, dozens of viewers wrote in offering to be tested as possible donors.
Without a donor kidney, Cole says she will be on dialysis for the rest of her life.
The daughter of Nat King Cole said she was diagnosed with hepatitis C in February 2008. Her kidneys failed after treatment and she has since been seeking a donor.
[From Huffington Post]
That is being a real fan right there. You wonder how many of those people would be willing to go through with it if their blood tests came back as a match. I’m sure they would probably get a lot of press. It would be symbolic, albeit a little strange, if Natalie accepted a donation from a fan, but it would make for a fantastic story. Can you imagine being able to say “Natalie Cole has one of my kidneys”?
Whether her son donates his kidney or she finds another donor, I hope Natalie is able to continue to make music and lives a long, healthy life.
Here’s Natalie Cole performing in Milan on December 20th. Images thanks to WENN .
HEY YOU NEED TO CHECK WITH THE STATE OF INDIANA WE HAVE ONE OF THE LARGEST TRANSPLANT HOSPITAL IN THE WORLD AND DEAL WITH HEP C. INDIANA ORGAN PROCUREMENT ORG. IS VERY HELPFULL PLEASE CHECK IN THIS FOR A KIDNEY TRANSPLANT. INDIANA UNIVERSITY HOSP. IS THE BEST…MY HUSBAND HAD A LIVER TRANSPLANT IN 2008 DOING WELL. MAYBE THIS COULD HELP NATALIE…MY FATHER LOVED HER FATHER….
I can’t believe the amount of people being willing to donate to a celebrity, who would never even think about donating to the average person down the street. What, do you think she’ll become your friend? That her having your old kidney gives you bragging rights?
Plus- to hear she wrecked her own kidneys through drug use? Ugh. Personally, I feel people who wreck their organs through smoking, drugs, or alcohol shouldn’t get new ones.
Karma can be such a bitch sometimes. I haven’t liked her since she was so hypocritical in her comments about Amy Winehouse winning an award. At least Amy W got it on the basis of her own talent…not because of her father’s fame.
This makes me uncomfortable.
I bet most of the people offering up their organs aren’t on the organ donor register.
Ain’t no way for anyone to die through organ failure, even someone I don’t like.
Totally agree with Orangejulius. She begrudged a talented singer/songwriter an award because of drug taking. Yet she is happy to cash in on her talent/ celebrity to get herself a new kidney, after she possibly played a big role in stuffing her kidneys through drug taking.
Isn’t there a list for organ donations, how are people able to jump it like that? Oh silly me, there’s a waiting period for international adoptions too……..
Are we really comparing Natalie Cole to Amy Winehouse? REALLY??? When Amy Winehouse has a career spanning decades then we can talk. As far as her drug use, she’s been open about that and clean for quite some time (longer than Amy Crackhouse’s sorry career). If someone wants to donate a Kidney, then that’s their business.
…and another thing. Will Feebee and Orangejulius be willing to give Amy Winehouse a kindney in a few months?
Wow such compassionate commenters here today. Poor Natalie, she had no idea that once she offended the Almighty Goddess of Soul Originality and all things Saintly Amy Winehouse she made herself a pariah that deserved nothing.
Are we really gonna compare someone who used drugs in the 70s & 80s where drug abuse was the standard in the music industry & a someone who started doing them 30 years later. Seriously, these days ppl know better & to bring up karma when ur talking about someone needing a kidney — U must not believe in karma urself. Natalie Cole has probably changed many of the ppl who are willing to donate their kidney’s lives, I doubt the song rehab has had that effect on most ppl.
I wasn’t trying to compare the two at all, just pointing that one of them got there on her own merit and one of them is a hypocrite. No, I would not be willing to donate a kidney to anyone other than my own family.
And, if you’re looking for sensitivity and compassion, a celebrity gossip site probably isn’t the place to find it.
Oh really? No compassion at all? Or just not when you refuse to give it? You expect me to believe that this site only features disdain and judgement? Only pours scorn on people facing difficult times. Surely not.
Lighten up. I wouldn’t seriously deny anyone a kidney (other than mine) and nowhere did I say that Natalie Cole was a pariah undeserving of anything. I just don’t like her and I’m entitled to my opinion.
Everyone should be a donor, to bury a useable human body and let it rot in the ground when it could save the lives of some 10 people is crazy.
The waiting list for a human kidney is about 7 years, partly from lack of donors, but mostly because we have gotten so good at saving people from blunt-force trauma, so there are less available cadaver organs.
I’m currently awaiting a kidney transplant, and I would certainly support anybody donating an organ to anybody for any reason. It helps everyone, as that person will no longer be taking-up space on the transplant list. I’m a bit jealous, of course, but wtf, it is what it is.
I hope you get a kidney soon, Ignatz. You’re right that people should donate in the event of their death. What’s it gonna hurt then?