Articles from prior issues of The Advocate

March/April, 1998

National Organ/Tissue Donor Awareness Week

A Story of Heroes: Remarks from U.S. Assistant Surgeon General Kenneth Moritsugu, Donor Husband and Father

“I am privileged to join you tonight, September 20, 1997, as you celebrate the Tenth Anniversary of the Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates. It was truly uplifting to join with you this morning for the first of what I hope will be an annual Walk-Run for Life, to publicize the need for, to publicize the benefits of, organ and tissue donation and transplantation. It was also comforting and energizing to join with others blessed by the miracle and joy of transplantation this afternoon at your picnic honoring donor families and transplant recipients everywhere. With transplant recipients wearing green hats and donor families wearing white hats, the participants, including the transplant professionals, and supporters and friends as well, all made such a visible, public statement that Transplantation Works! And tonight we continue on this celebration. We celebrate this tenth Anniversary, this decade of activity - not only of an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life through organ and tissue donation and transplantation, but ten years of human beings dedicated to helping fellow human beings. Tonight is a Celebration of Life: the Gift of Life; the Circle of Life; the circle that has no beginning and no end: the circle that includes the many true heroes of transplantation.

Heroes This is a story of heroes:

heroes, like the transplant candidates, who anxiously and patiently wait with hope for their transplant, that a miracle will happen; heroes, like the transplant recipients, those brave ones who place their faith and trust in the science and skill of health professionals, and who show every day through their very existence that transplantation works; heroes, like their families, who provide the love and support for these individuals not only during their wait, but just as importantly, after their transplant; heroes, like the transplant professionals, who, with their knowledge, and experience, and skill, help bring together the various forces and resources to help the miracle of transplantation happen; and heroes, like the donors, and the living donors, who gave so unselfishly of themselves, as the ultimate gesture of human generosity, to make the miracle possible, without whom no miracle would happen; and heroes, like the donor families, who assured that this could happen, often in times of deepest tragedy and sorrow. These are the survivors, who, despite heart wrenching loss and profound grief, continue the struggle to go on with our lives. The Gift of Life is about people who care, at every level, without whom nothing could happen, because donation and transplantation is not a sterile medical issue, but a personal. human deed, which touches people, closely, personally, intimately --through which another human receives a new lease on life: and enhanced quality of living: a new outlook on humanity. Tonight I speak to you, not as Assistant Surgeon General, but as a husband, a father, and a fellow human being. Donor families each have their stories. Each story is different, each story is special. But what is common to all, is the uncommon generosity of the human spirit, often in time of grief and tragedy, to rise above personal self-concern, to help others in need of life, in need of improved health, in need of transplantation,through the ultimate gift of the donors--their ultimate acts of human kindness. Through their ultimate act of generosity, in their ultimate acts of human kindness, these donors, donors everywhere, have achieved greatness--ordinary people, who have made extraordinary things happen. Donor and donor families, without whom the miracles of transplantation could not occur at all.

My Story

Each of us has our own story and I am no different. Permit me to share my story with you. Five years ago, my late wife, Donna Lee, died in a severe auto accident. And because she and I had talked long before about our desires to be organ and tissue donors, I had the privilege of carrying out her wishes.

And because of that decision, five years ago:

A marine biologist in Florida, who was researching the effects of pollution in Tampa Bay, received a new heart. He is active in promoting organ and tissue donation with his wife, who is a network television newscaster;

A 35-year-old diabetic hospital custodian in Washington, DC, received a pancreas and kidney; A 12-year-old child, who was on dialysis and failing in school, received the other kidney. He is now making straight A’s, and is on his way to college;

A retired school teacher in Pennsylvania received a new liver and was able to spend Christmas again with her family; and although I understand she has since died, the transplant provided her and her family and loved ones to the opportunity to enjoy a few more weeks and months together;

A young retarded woman in Baltimore, MD, received one cornea; and the other cornea provided vision to a 49-year-old local government worker.

Donna Lee was simply an ordinary person, who accomplished extraordinary things. Without her generosity, just like so many other donors, this would never have been possible. But that is not the end of the story. One year ago, almost to the day, on September 3, 1996, my younger daughter, Vikki Lianne, who was only 22 years old, was struck by an auto while crossing the street. She suffered massive brain injury and died after three days. We believed she would have wanted to be an organ and tissue donor, so we made those arrangements. Later, my older daughter, Erika said to me, “Dad, you did the right thing.” Because, unbeknownst to me, after Donna Lee died, my two daughters had several discussions about their lives. And they noted how many others had benefitted from Donna’s final gift, and how we the family had derived such comfort in our loss. And Vikki had stated that she, too, wanted to be an organ and tissue donor. It was, in her words to her sister, the least she could do for fellow humanity. I cannot describe to you how proud I feel, about the character and the generosity of my children, of all donors and donor families everywhere. Out of the mouths of our younger generation. At that time, my daughters were both just emerging from their teens. If these young people can be so altruistic and humanitarian, why can we all not be so, as well? And because of Vikki:

A mother of five children from upstate New York received her heart and a new lease on life for herself and her family;

A widow with four children received her lung;

A 59-year-old man from Washington, DC, an active volunteer with a charitable organization in the are, received her liver;

A widower with one daughter received one kidney;

A married, working father of several children received the other kidney;

A 26-year-old man in Florida received one cornea, and a 60-year-old woman in Pennsylvania received the other.

I was privileged to be a part of THEIR generosity, their Gift of life, their ultimate gesture of humanity, just as all donor families are part of their loved ones’ generosity. Because of Donna Lee, and because of Vikki Lianne, and because of so many other organ and tissue donors, many people have directly gained, from a renewed life, and an improve quality of life. Like a pebble tossed into a pond, the ripples of life expand outward, affecting not just the donor and recipients, but families, friends, colleagues, coworkers, and others; and in turn those affect so many others, in ever expanding Circles of Life. These other individuals, but for the miracle of donation and transplantation, the Gift of Life, would have lost a parent, a spouse, a friend, a colleague, to death and disability. Donation and transplantation affect society broadly, not just the person who receives the transplant. Ordinary people performing extraordinary deeds."