School community asked for gift of life

[Clark]

http://erstarnews.com/2011/10/07/school-community-asked-for-gift-of-life/

School community asked for gift of life
by Briana Sutherland

When Keith Stevens needed a kidney transplant more than 10 years ago, he turned to his sister in California.

This time around the computer programmer for the Elk River Area School District is turning to his place of employment, and his employer is even helping him with the effort to find a donor.

A YouTube video of his plight has been been created by Casey Mahon, the school district's manager of communications, and a plea went out in the school district's Staff Happenings for staff to consider giving what could be the gift of life.

"It's a big decision," Stevens admits. "I don't ask this lightly.  If it's something someone is willing to consider to help someone else live a normal life, please consider donation."

The video highlights not only Stevens' need, but also the needs of others.

According to the National Kidney Foundation, nationwide there are approximately 89,331 people awaiting kidney transplants with nearly 3,000 new patients being added to the kidney waiting list each month.

The video also features compelling testimony for organ donation from  Jana Hennen-Burr, the assistant superintendent in charge of educational services for the school district. She was on the giving end of kidney transplant operations nine years ago. She donated one of her kidneys to Jan Gallagher, a media specialist at Rogers Elementary School when Hennen-Burr was the principal there.

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