Meet My Cousin, Kerry

My cousin Kerry was born with Cystic Fibrosis. Cystic Fibrosis is a disease that many people have heard of, but few could probably define. I know I couldn't before starting this post. CF is a common disease, which affects the whole body, and causes progressive disabilities, and often, early death.

Kerry is 33, she has a husband, a 13 year old son, and a 4 year old son. Kerry spent the past 3 years on a waiting list for a double lung transplant. She has spent the past 4 months living in the hospital, as she was too sick to be able to live outside of it.

She spent just 4 days alive after her doctors found she was no longer strong enough to handle the transplant. On Saturday, Kerry died after a long, brave, scary, and painful battle with her disease.

Kerry's wishes before she died, were that more people would register with Gift of Life to become organ donors when they pass on.

Some facts about organ donation:

•  1 person can save up to 8 lives if they are able to donate all of their donatable organs.
• 1 person can enhance the lives of up to 75 others with tissue donation.
• Checking the box on your license will not make you a certified organ donor- unless papers are filed with Gift of Life, or LifeGift, or another donor program, the end decision is left to your surviving family.
• Some organ donations can be done while you are alive, such as kidneys, pancreas, and the liver.
• As of 8/25/10, there are over 100,000 people waiting for an organ donation in the United States.
• As of May, 2010, there were under 6,000 organ donors in 2010.
• As of May, 2010, there were over 11,000 organ donations from under 6,000 donors.
• Organ donation will not mutilate the body before burial. 
• Because of Kerry's decision, several people received new organs this week after her passing.

Kerry's one wish was for more people to sign up for organ donation, and for more people to consent to the organ donation of their loved ones when they pass.

If you have never  considered organ donation before, consider it now. Discuss your choice with your family. Make sure others are aware of what your wishes are. Find your state's donor registration website, and fill out the paperwork needed to make it official.

You'll be saving lives, like Kerry.

Waiting To Exhale