I have to admit that during our last visit to NYC, my heart was broken and my eyes were opened. The waiting room was full of children, yellow children. There I was holding my beautiful plump, pink, and happy baby and right next to me was a petite, melancholy, and very yellow baby. And it hit me; Matilda was on the top of the transplant list (1A) because she was holding on to life by a thread, but what about all the other kids.
I was surprised to learn that as of December 2012 there were 1,735 children who were/are waiting for organ donations. This is the total number, not just liver related. Really, that number should be manageable. We should be able to save that many children!
I did not know anything about organ donation before it was brought to my attention that Matilda was a candidate for a transplant. I did not realize that children need children-sized organs and are usually not able to receive living donor transplants, at least when they are very young. I did not ever consider registering my children as donors.
On November 1st, 2012 a mother lost her 2 week old baby. On November 2nd I was given the gift of being able to watch my baby grow. Words cannot describe how thankful I am.
I have so much to learn, but I need to make a difference. Please join me as we celebrate National Donate Life Month this April and register to be an organ donor.
