Organ Donation: Here's Why You Should Give So Others Can Live by Denise Mantell

It’s not my story to completely share with the public, but someone near and dear to me was recently given the greatest gift ever in the form of a new liver. He received this from a selfless, living donor, with a little help from some donated tissues from those who had passed on. As he stays in New York City to recover, a classmate of his arrived to receive that same gift from someone who checked the box because there was not a living family match. A friend of mine received this gift in the form of a kidney a couple of years ago from a selfless stranger after being on dialysis for months.

I’m not able to be a living donor because of my own medical history and medications that I take. But my license clearly states that I’m a donor, and I hope they use every tissue possible when the time comes. One of the wisest people I know wrote the following on a CaringBridge site after her son received this incredible gift:

“April is Organ Donor Awareness Month.
Check the box – be an organ donor.
Recycle yourself – be an organ donor.
Change the ending to someone’s story – be an organ donor.
Give so others can live – be an organ donor.”

Are you an organ donor?

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