Terri Fill shares about why she became an organ donor.
43 years ago, when I earned my driver’s license, I signed to be an organ donor. I imagined the possibility of my organs helping someone, but only when I could no longer use them. Back then, I was unaware of the blessing of my good health, of the fact that my genes did not saddle me with undeserved suffering.
Years later, my perspective changed when my husband suffered from a genetic kidney disease. I wanted to help my husband, and I was evaluated to be a living kidney donor. It was one of the most crushing experiences of my life to be denied as a donor due to a minor, treatable health issue. Thankfully, he received a deceased donor transplant, but we have always been respectful of the fact that our new lease on life came from the generosity of another family despite their loss.
Even more years later, when our son fell ill with genetic kidney disease in his 20’s, I was shocked; young people aren’t supposed to lose both kidneys and live on dialysis. I was re-evaluated as a living donor, and this time I was approved, but our son’s rescue came in the form of a multi-state chain spurred by an exact match with our friend and former neighbor from 25 years ago. Living donors comprise less than 25% of kidney donations, so our former neighbor’s generosity and the exact match still feel like a miracle.
Despite both my husband and son getting what they needed to live, I kept ruminating on a Maya Angelou quote imprinted in my mind when I was young: she said, “I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back.”