Wednesday, April 3 was Living Donor Day, which is meant to honor those who donate an organ or tissue to provide life-saving medical care to a person in need.
While the decision to become a living organ donor is considered an admirable and selfless act, many misconceptions still exist around the practice and what it involves.
The Overland Park based nonprofit Gift of Life works to dispel these myths and misunderstandings while also acting as a support network for the donors and recipients going through the transplant process.
Stephanie Meyer, a living kidney donor who is now on the organization's board of directors, told KCUR's Up To Date that living organ donation wasn't really on her mind until an opportunity presented itself.
"I saw a Facebook post from a girl I had gone to high school with and hadn't seen in the 20 years since high school, but was good friends with her at the time," Meyer said.
"And I saw that her husband, who I of course had not met, had polycystic kidney disease and had been added to the transplant list," she continued. "So, they were just beginning that journey and it just felt like kind of a God wing to me. I saw it and I said, 'Well, I'm happy to get tested, let's do it.'"
- Shara Brice, Gift of Life executive director
- Patricia Draper, Gift of Life's Transplant Mentors program director
- Stephanie Meyer, living donor and Gift of Life board member
