| Quilt Brings Attention to Organ Donation |
| Tuesday, 26 August 2008 17:16 |
Each day an average seventeen people's names are removed from the organ waiting list.  These people did not receive a successful transplant. Instead an organ did not become available to them in time. Charlotte Wong, Public Education Coordinator for Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates, told Action News 36 simply, "Organ donation saves lives." To give their message more power the group displayed a quilt at U.K. Chandler Hospital Tuesday. "Every square represents at least one organ transplant and one life saved," Wong said. Each square was made by the family of the donor who in their deaths gave life to others. Brandi Speck's son Riley received his heart when he was 18 months-old. Speck tells Action News 36 her son was "extremely sick. He was at risk of dying suddenly." But for every happy ending there is a loss. Janet Harris' sister passed in 2006, donating her liver and kidneys saving three lives. "It was her wish and we knew that she would be able to help others in that way," Harris said. Tuesday, two women on opposite ends of organ donation came together to sign up people to Kentucky's new organ donor registry. "The sooner we know what a patient's wishes are, the sooner we can make that miracle happen in someone else's life," said Wong. Harris has been in contact with two of the people her sister helped. She now considers them members of her extended family. "She lives on in them, so they in turn are part of me." Harris hopes one day to meet them in person and see firsthand the gratitude of people like Riley's mom. "He's a normal little four year-old boy who's healthy and active. He's our miracle." Adding your name to the Kentucky Donor Registry will only take you about a minute and a half and you can do it online by going to their website www.donatelifeky.org.
Set as favorite
Bookmark
Email This
Comments (0)
 Write comment
|
Subscribe to this comment's feed