Professional Perspective: How I Ended Up Working in Organ and Tissue Donation

Donate Life North Carolina | Katie Paulson
It's a common question at most social functions, and one that I feel so honored and blessed to answer. Most people are quite taken aback when I share that I work for Donate Life North Carolina. Organ and tissue donation? Unless one has made a recent trip to the DMV or has a personal connection, it's not something we tend to think about on a daily basis. I felt the same way until August 2009.

After teaching in special education at the high school level via Teach For America, I was looking for a change. I had the opportunity to apply for the Life Anew Coordinator position with Carolina Donor Services, and fell into a wonderful two years in the world of aftercare. In that role, I had the privilege of hearing hundreds of stories from parents, sisters, brothers, children, grandparents, cousins, and friends whose loved ones gave the gift of life through organ, tissue and eye donation. Additionally, I had the honor of facilitating correspondence between donor families and recipients and, on occassion, bringing the two families together to meet in person. Not all letters were answered, from either side, but the fact that such opportunities exist to say "thank you" or "please know this about your donor" is priceless.
______________________________________________________ 
"You have the power to SAVE lives." 
To register as a donor TODAY
In California: 
www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org | www.doneVIDAcalifornia.org 
Outside California: 
www.organdonor.gov | www.donatelife.net

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