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The author of this blog is a Quixtar employee. The opinions expressed here are not necessarily reviewed in advance by anyone but the individual author. These opinions do not necessarily reflect the view of Quixtar or any other person or company.

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Opportunity Zone


Have a heart. Give the Gift of Life.
Monday, August 06, 2007

This weekend I drove to Clarkston to visit my brother and his family. Of course the highlight of the trip was the opportunity to play with my two-year-old nephew Oliver. He was thrilled to give his Aunty Leyla a tour of his soon to be new baby sister's room. He calls it "my amia's room."  (Translation, my Amelia's room.)

As with most Aunties, I love to share with anyone who cares to listen all the stories of how smart, how cute, how cuddly my nephew is.

This morning I was sharing my latest Oliver stories with my colleague Marsha, who likes to share her grandkid stories with me. Today Marsha shared with me the story of her friends who have a little baby awaiting a new heart. This is the second child her friends have had that requires a heart transplant.

Ten years ago during my first tour of duty with the company Rich DeVos, Amway co-founder, was in the same place - he was waiting for a new heart. Rich was lucky enough to receive the heart of a young woman, who was lucky enough to receive the heart and lungs of another donor. Both Rich and his donor are thriving today because someone was brave enough and giving enough to donate their organs in order to help someone else live.

There are several people I know who've been blessed by the willingness of others to become organ donors. My cousin Billy who has polycystic kidney disease had a transplant years ago. My friend's brother received bone marrow from one of his siblings. Both are doing well today.

Almost 100,000 people are waiting for an organ transplant in the United States alone. Research indicates that one organ donor can save the lives of up to eight people and tissue donation can positively impact the lives of 50 people.

If you look at the back of my driver's license, you'll see my organ donor agreement. My whole family is aware of my desire to donate whatever is of use. When I'm gone I hope that someone, somewhere will be able to carry on as a result.

Please consider giving the gift of life by becoming an organ donor. There is no greater gift you can give.


Comments

Dave Undis said:
Monday, August 06, 2007 | #

Over half of the 97,000 Americans on the national transplant 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 our neighbors suffer and die needlessly 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 willing to share the gift of life should go to the back of the 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.

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