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On this week’s show, Lori Hartwell and Stephen Furst
speak with someone who’s truly caught between a rock and a hard place when it
comes to the old adage, “It’s better to give than receive.” For you see, this
week’s guest, Bryan Stewart, encourages people to give the “gift of life”
so that others can receive the “gift of life!” (On second thought... that’s not
such a bad rock or hard place to be caught between.)
Let’s play 20
questions!
Do you know
when the first successful organ transplant was performed? It was in 1954 at
Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. A brother donated a kidney to his twin.
Did you know
that Pope Benedict XVI is a registered organ donor?
Did you know
that currently more than 92,000 Americans are on the waiting list for an organ
transplant, and that about 65,000 of those people are awaiting a kidney? Do you
know the reason why most people choose not to become organ donors?
Bryan Stewart,
director of communications for OneLegacy, a nonprofit, federally designated
organ and tissue recovery agency in Southern California, says the most common
myth regarding organ donation is that people think that medical professionals
will not work as hard to save their lives in medical crises if they are organ
donors.
So what can we
do to inspire and educate the community about giving the gift of life? “As
kidney patients, the most important thing you can do is tell your story,” says
Bryan. “It’s the personal stories that help touch people’s lives and inspire
them to become donors.”
Do you have a
story? Of course you do! Is it worth telling? Absolutely! Your life is worth
living and your story is worth telling. Can you use it to inspire someone? You
bet you can! Maybe the best way for you to inspire someone is through writing an
article for your local newspaper, visiting with friends over coffee, speaking to
service organizations in your community, or sharing your story with members of
your congregation.
Whichever
avenue is most comfortable for you, get out and tell your story. Inspire someone
today!
For more
information on organ donation, visit www.onelegacy.org. OneLegacy is an active participant in “Donate
Life,” a national education campaign to inspire people to become organ and
tissue donors.
