12 Years Ago, My Life was Saved by a Stranger…

On the 24^th of this month, I celebrated the 12-year anniversary of my heart transplant surgery.  It was a quiet Monday; I worked from home, had Chinese take-out for dinner and read myself to sleep.  I had planned to celebrate with a small gathering of family, but with wildfires burning nearby and the world out of sorts, I’ve decided to postpone for another time.   This year has been crazy—with COVID-19 and its’ restrictions on all of our lives, nothing has felt normal.  But I can’t let the anniversary pass without commemorating it in some way. 

Organ Transplants Save Lives

Organ transplantation is often the end-stage treatment for a variety of diseases, like mine—dilated cardiomyopathy.  When I was initially diagnosed with my condition in late 1999, I was told that without a heart transplant I wouldn’t survive past 10 years.  The goal was for me to live with my heart as long as possible before being put on the list.  I lived for 9 years with a bad heart.  Once I recovered from the transplant surgery, my surgeon told me that my new heart (which is almost 20 years younger than me) should last approximately 20-25 years.  The doctors made it very clear that a transplant is not a cure—it’s the last chance for life.

Transplant Statistics

According to Donate Life America, one of the leading national organizations on organ donation:

• 110,000 men, women and children are waiting for life-saving organ transplants in the United States.
• Every 10 minutes another person is added to the national transplant waiting list.
• 8,000 deaths occur each year in the U.S. because organs are not donated in time.
• 22 people die each day because the organ they need is not donated in time.
• 82% of patients waiting are in need of a kidney.
• 1 out of 3 deceased donors is over the age of 50.

In addition:

• If you donated your organs, you would be able to save up to 8 lives.
• If you donated your cornea, you would be able to restore sight to 2 people.
• If you donated your tissue, you would be able to heal the lives of 75 people.

That’s a whole lot of good you could do for the world, simply by becoming an organ donor! 95% of Americans are in favor of being a donor, but only 58% are registered.

California Leads the Way

In 2017, California law A.B. 3211 went into effect making organ donation the default choice in the state—if a person wishes not to donate, they must say so.  The law makes changes to California’s Advanced Health Directive (AHCD) law, which clarifies patients’ rights regarding organ donation.  The new language says that upon death, organs, tissue, and parts can be donated for transplantation, therapy, research, and education. If a person chooses not to make an organ donation gift in an AHCD, health care providers must check the person’s state authorized registration.  In California, our choice is registered with the Department of Motor Vehicles, which may indicate it on our driver’s license or ID card.  The law is intended to boost the state’s low rate of organ donation, but Californians should make their wishes regarding organ donation clear.

Donor Registration is Easy

Register to become an organ donor, if you’re not already.  One way to register is to go through the Department of Motor Vehicles. On your license or ID application renewal form, simply mark YES in the box that asks if you would like to be registered as an organ or tissue donor.  When your license or ID card is renewed, you’ll have a little pink sticker on the bottom left hand corner indicating that you are a registered donor.

Another option is to register online with Donate Life California, a non-profit organization whose website offers helpful information and statistics on organ donation in California.  The site also lists the total number of registrants across the state: 16,731,278 as of August 26, 2020.  

National Donor Registration

Donate Life America is the national organization whose mission is to support the Donate Life State teams in their mission to save and heal lives through transplantation.  Donate Life America also manages the National Donate Life Registry at RegisterMe.org. For people living out of state, you can register with your state registry. At Organdonor.gov, administered by the Federal Health Resources and Services Administration, you can find your state’s registry and do so online.

Your Choice Matters

Twelve years ago, I received a new heart and my life would be forever changed—from a health standpoint, but also on a deeper level.  I had faced death and survived—thanks to modern medicine and the experience and skill of my medical team.  Most importantly, it was the decision made by a young woman who had marked YES on her DMV application to become an organ donor, that made my survival possible. I give thanks for her every day in my prayers. I was one of the few people fortunate enough to have found a donor.  Unfortunately, there are thousands of people who don’t—people who die from their illnesses while waiting for a heart, or lungs, a kidney, or a liver. 

If you haven’t already, please make the choice to become an organ donor–your decision could mean the difference between life and death for someone struggling to survive a chronic illness. Your choice could give another person a second chance at life, at love, and at hope for a better future for themselves. I was given all of those things and more, and I couldn’t be more grateful. I’m certain that other organ recipients feel the same. If it wasn’t for the kindness of a stranger, my story would’ve ended a dozen years ago, unfinished and untold. I thank God that I’m still here to tell it.