Deciding on being a donor
This was an easy decision for me. I am sure those who are donors may find it to be the same way. I first thought about organ donation when I was about 8 years old. At the time Walter Payton was diagnosed with cancer and passed away due to not getting a liver transplant. Growing up in Chicago, I knew how popular he was even though I never actually saw him play. But for some reason watching that on the news, that he passed away because he was waiting on a list to get a new organ really hit me.
I still remember watching that news cast of them announcing it. Ever since then I had planned on donating when I was older or after I passed away (I always signed up for the organ donation on the back of the driver's license). I even talked about donating (I wasn't sure what but something) when I was a teen and my parents at the time kind of jokingly told me I had to wait and was too young. Which I understood to a point, but thought why not help when young and have some fresh organs.
Anyways some years went by, I was in college, and one day my life changed. I found out my dad has cancer and I needed to come home from college immediately. He had been in the hospital for about 10 days and was getting worse and the doctors couldn't figure out what the problem was. By the time they figured out what it was there was nothing they could do.
He had hepatitis C from a bad blood transfusion back in the 1980's and from that developed cirrhosis of the liver. So all this time he was in the hospital the thought was that he was going to need a liver transplant from the years of having the disease. During this brief time family and friends were getting tested and telling us how they would donate if needed. But due to the finding of the cancer (in the liver) and the cirrhosis, there was nothing that could be done.
I was fortunate enough to get back from school the night I got the call. After landing we went down to the hospital. I found out that the doctors had called during the time I was flying saying that everyone should get down there as soon as possible.
Arriving at the hospital I had no idea what to expect. I last talked with my dad about a week prior and sounded in good spirits. We walked up to the floor and I saw all my family in the hallway outside his room. Many of them I had not seen in years, but they all were there for my dad.
I will keep at that, and don't want to keep going on. But he was able to peacefully pass away with his family by his side.
The great generosity of family and friends and neighbors with being there when we needed and offering up part of their liver to help my dad was amazing. I knew that other people out there were in need of an organ and maybe weren't as fortunate to have people willing or able (not a match) to help.
So about 6 months after his passing when I got back to school I started looking into what I could donate, the process of it all, and where I would have it done.