Saturday, February 14, 2009
Memorial
Today is not only Valentine's Day but it also marks the one year anniversary of my kidney transplant. I woke up at 8:37 a.m. and that was when the results came in and it was a go for me to receive this kidney. Last night 5 couples gathered to celebrate the gift of living. We had become friends through mutual circumstances. My friend, Guy, even had his donor family there. Fred (Guy's donor) attends church and is a friend of Guy's. What an awesome act of unconditional love Fred did for Guy! Another couple there were Joe and Joyce who will celebrate 21 years of marriage this March. Joyce was able to donate a kidney to Joe and again what a wonderful gift of love. Fred and Joyce both are well and healthy and cannot even tell they only have one kidney. With all the celebrating going on, Ann and I were reminded that there are 2 families who are not celebrating but remembering the life of a loved one who passed away at this same time last year. These families are also "heroes" in my opinion. Unconditional love and selflessness is sometimes hard to find these days in society. Yet, these people and families have demonstrated just that. The families who agree to donate their loved one's organs have no idea who or even where they will go to. An accident in Alabama could affect someone in Mississippi or Georgia or who knows where. These families don't expect anything in return and to me demonstrate God's love in a practical way. Today is an emotional roller coaster between the joy of living and remembering someone else is not. To all donors and donor families, THANK YOU!!!! If you have not designated yourself as an Organ Donor, please DO!!! If you hear of someone needing a transplant that can be done by a living donor, look into it! Every 90 minutes someone like you and me dies from needing a transplant.*Every 12 minutes a name is added to the transplant list.*Nearly 100,000 men, women, and CHILDREN currently await a life saving transplant.*In the U.S. more than 1 million tissue transplants are performed every year.*You can live a normal healthy life with one kidney.*You can donate part of your liver and live a normal healthy life. It regenerates!*You will forever change someone's life. You will let them spend more precious time with their children, grandchildren, and family and friends.*You will be a hero.YOU have the Power to Donate LIFE, be an Organ and Tissue Donor
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4 comments:
Hi Pam!
I think it is great to hold a memorial for your kidney. It's a time to reflect on your 1st year post transplant and remember the one who gave you the Gift of Life.
I received my kidney 5/22/07 after many years dealing with Lupus. I was on dialysis for 1.5 years which I believe made me an even stronger person. I am now involved with an organization that discusses organ donation in high school. Though the kids are not old enough to make the decision for themselves, it gives them the facts so they can discuss it with their parents, what their wishes are. It also opens up the conversation for the parents to let their kids know their wishes.
Kudos to you once again, memorializing the date.
Best,
Pam
You were very lucky to get a kidney transplant. Over half of the 100,000 Americans on the national waiting list will die before they get a transplant. Most of these deaths are needless. Americans bury or cremate about 20,000 transplantable organs every year. Over 6,000 of their neighbors die every year as a result.
There is a simple way to put a big dent in the organ shortage -- give organs first to people who have agreed to donate their own organs when they die.
Giving organs first to organ donors will convince more people to register as organ donors. It will also make the organ allocation system fairer. People who aren't prepared to share the gift of life should go to the back of the transplant waiting list as long as there is a shortage of organs.
Anyone who wants to donate their organs to others who have agreed to donate theirs can join LifeSharers. LifeSharers is a non-profit network of organ donors who agree to offer their organs first to other organ donors when they die. Membership is free at www.lifesharers.org or by calling 1-888-ORGAN88. There is no age limit, parents can enroll their minor children, and no one is excluded due to any pre-existing medical condition.
Hi Pam! I recognize the transplant statistics and becoming a hero! ;)
Happy one year anniversary! Woo-hoo!
Yesterday the list was 100,801 people waiting...have not checked it today.
Nice post.
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