April is the month that spring, the season of renewal, comes into full swing.
It is fitting then that April is National Donate Life Month. People are asked to register as organ, eye or tissue donors. These donations make such a difference in the lives of others.
We were reminded of this again hearing the story of Makenzie Goode and her mother Marcy Robitaille. In 2010, Makenzie, then a 17-year-old senior at Pioneer Valley Regional School, lost control of the car she was driving, sliding out of control and striking a fire hydrant. Though Makenzie was quickly taken by helicopter to University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, her injuries were such that, as her mother recalled, Makenzie was going to be “lifeless on life support for the rest of her life and we knew we couldn’t do that to her.”
Instead, the brave decision was made to donate Makenzie’s organs. That donation saved six people. One individual got her heart, another her lungs, still another her liver. Her pancreas and her kidneys went to three more recipients.
“I think that my daughter would have wanted that, and I just feel like I have this extra chapter to my life that other parents might not have if they opted not or didn’t know what to do or if they were eligible for it. At least I’ve got this extra chapter of Makenzie’s life,” Robitaille said.
The donation helped a grieving mother move forward, and it made a life-saving difference in the lives of some very sick people. But there are many thousands more people on the waiting lists for donated organs.
While some 30,000 organ transplants happen each year in the United States — with organs and tissue from 8,500 dead and 6,000 living donors — there remains roughly 125,000 men, women and children who wait for the phone to ring with the good news that an organ has been located for them. According to Donate Life New England, 8,000 people die waiting for that call.
This is why we are all urged to consider registering as potential donors. Prior registration — and talking to our families about our decision to donate — takes the hard choice away from a grieving loved one. The decision is already made. And although most publicity is aimed at organs like hearts, kidneys, lungs and liver, there is a need for skin to help burn victims; corneas to give sight to the blind; and tendons to restore movement. According to Donate Life America’s website, more than 1 million tissue transplants are done annually. That kind of transplant, and the need for tissue to use, is on the rise.
The good news is more and more of us are willing to have the organs of deceased relatives donated or to become living donors. More transplants were done last year than in any previous one.
But more can be done. Consider registering today and possibly providing someone with a chance at a better life. If you are a driver in Massachusetts, you can indicate your choice when you renew your license. It is as simple as checking a box and telling your family of your decision. It is a small gesture now, but could be a life-changing one in the future.