When a kid's organs start to fail, parents are caught by conflicting emotions. They want their child to be well, but they must also hope their child gets worse – because priority is given to the kids who are closest to death. It's an impossible dilemma, caused by a dire shortage of organs for transplant. At Children's Memorial, parents can take comfort that their child is at one of the top-five transplant centers in the country. The hospital's Siragusa Transplantation Center (STC) is home to a team of experts in the transplant of stem cells and bone marrow, livers, kidneys, hearts, and small bowels. The center's co-directors are hepatologist Dr. Peter Whitington, and transplant surgeon Dr. Riccardo Superina. But waiting is hard. At the end of April 2002, there were 17,829 people waiting for livers, including 1,007 kids. One in 12 people will die waiting. A Mother's Choice Should Quantell have a second liver transplant? It's a high-risk operation. See how his mom decides what to do. CONTINUE Simple and Sensible Safety Strategies Try these easy ways to safety-proof your life with children. Plus, learn how to talk to kids about safety using age-appropriate terms. CONTINUE Meet the staff and see hospital resources. MORE