Heroes come in many forms.......

[Orchidlady]

My husband and I went last night to the local transplant support group meeting. It is a nice group and the format usually has a speaker on a transplant related topic and the meeting ends with a transplant patient speaker telling their story.

The patient speaker last night was a woman who just had her transplant about two months ago. She is a mother with 5 children and had been on dialysis for 9 years. She had very high PRA (because of transfusions and children) and was told the chances of a match, either living or deceased, were literally one in a million. Finally, after nine years on the list (and numerous potential living donors not being a match), a perfect kidney was found.

As I thought about it, I realized how very close this woman could have come to not getting that call. I know to we donors on this board that organ donation is a no-brainer  - why would anyone not want to donate their organs? But to many others it is an agonizing decision that is made in the midst of difficult circumstances. I thought to myself that whoever this individual had been, they and their family are true heroes - that "one in a million" chance for this woman. I just hope the family will someday be able to realize how very, very precious and important their gift was to this woman who had been given almost no hope of a matching organ.

[shelley]

Ah, thanks for this story.  What a wonderful example of a life saved.  That's what it's all about.  As you say, "Why would anyone not want to donate their organs?"  When I, an average person, can give something I can live without, to save someone's LIFE, why would I not want to do this with all my heart?

[Aries7]

That is a very touching story and so true - "What if that decision had not been made?" I have to tell you, this made me think back to when I donated to my Husband. While we were in the hospital, they offered informational classes for the recipients for things like how to take their medication correctly, eating healthy. etc.  They would always start the class off with having everyone share their name and what organ they had recieved, etc. There were a few patients who had recieved cadaver kidney's or livers. As I sat there during the class, I remember looking at these recipients and thinking how they now had an organ from someone who just a few days prior was more than likely living their lives like the rest of us. Not knowing that one morning when they got up and got ready for work/school/etc, that that was their last day here on earth, and some tragic accident/illness would end their lives that day, and because of this, the people that were now sitting before me received a second chance at life. Hopefully a normal, full life that they would be able to enjoy with their families and other loved ones. Seeing and experiencing all of this changed my life forever. If ever there was a remider as to what was really important in life, this experience was it. Seeing what some people have to go through just to live and be healthy, and being reminded how quickly life can end, was a real reminder to take the best care of yourself as possible, and cherish each and every day you have with those you love, because none of us ever know what day may be our last.

Linda

[Scott337]

"If not now, when?  If not me, then who?.....


Scott