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How One Recipient’s Faith Transformed How She Views Organ Donation
Under difficult circumstances, Kellie relied on her faith and keeping a positive outlook to carry her through the toughest moments of liver transplantation.
“I didn’t want to concentrate on the fear,” said 44-year-old Kellie when she found out the shocking news that her liver was failing causing stress on her lungs and heart and needed a transplant to save her life.
Under these difficult circumstances, Kellie relied on her faith and keeping a positive outlook to carry her through the toughest moments. “I had a lot of people praying for me, and I believe God gave me the strength and the motivation to fight to get better and to be strong enough for my family.”
While Kellie waited for a donor transplant, the world turned upside down with the global COVID-19 pandemic. Because of Kellie’s condition, she had to be extremely careful not to contract any sickness or infection. Her world, once vibrant with family surrounding her, grew very small. “I felt very isolated during that time,” recalls Kellie. “I was only leaving my house for doctor’s appointments, and I couldn’t see anyone in my family because of the risk, even on holidays.”
The Gift of Life
The months rolled by slowly, and finally, on January 15, 2022, Kellie received a call from M Health Fairview Liver Transplant Center. “I was wide awake at 10:00 p.m. because I was hardly sleeping at that time, and I got a call from the doctor telling me they had an organ for me. I couldn’t even digest what he was saying – everything just went blank. I was in complete shock.”
After Kellie’s successful transplant surgery, she meditated on what it truly means to be an organ donor. “It’s the gift of life from a complete stranger. I think of the verse in the Bible, ‘Do unto others what you would have them do unto you’ (Matthew 7:12) and I think of how organ donation is an example of the Christian value of Charity. It’s such a remarkable opportunity to be able to give something like that to another.”
Kellie now finds community and comfort around other liver transplant recipients through a weekly support group over Zoom. She mentions how many others in the group talk about how before their health crisis, they didn’t understand the significance of organ donation or about what the process is like for people who are awaiting a transplant, sometimes for months or even years.
An Eternal Impact
Kellie is now an ambassador for LifeSource, encouraging people to register to be an organ donor; she even brings a picture of the members of her support group everywhere she goes. “I always have it with me and I [show people and say] ‘look. These are the faces of just some of the people I know that would not be standing here if it weren’t for organ donation. These people are my friends.’”
Post-transplant, Kellie is determined to be a positive light in other people’s lives. “I’m lucky to have these bonus years ahead of me. I now get to experience all these things, and pass wisdom down to my nieces and nephews. Organ donation helped me not only internally, but spiritually as well. I truly believe God provided for me through my organ donor, and that gift is eternal.”
You can register as an organ donor at the DMV or online at Life-Source.org/register.