Organ Donation is an Act of Giving That Truly Does Change -- And Save -- Lives

Huffington Post | Impact | TJ Maciak
I am one of the fortunate ones and now it's my turn to help others. This posting is about a different kind of individual philanthropy.

I just recently returned from an amazing trip to Durban, South Africa where I participated in the 19th World Transplant Games. I have been competing in the Transplant Games since 1996. I am not the most skilled athlete by any stretch of the imagination but the fact that I am able to compete is what matters. You see, the summer after 4th grade I failed a sports physical. I had protein in my urine. I had a biopsy done at the Detroit Children's Hospital and it was diagnosed with kidney disease.

Life was pretty tough as a youngster; every week it seemed like I was visiting a doctor and it wasn't my idea of fun. As time went on and my condition was stable, the weekly visits turned into monthly visits, then into yearly checkups. Then came the day that would forever change who I am. It was the end of September of my senior year of high school and I almost died. My kidneys suddenly, without warning, went into end stage renal failure and I was in a coma for four days. My new life consisted of many hospital visits because I was now in need of dialysis treatments to stay alive. Dialysis was extremely hard for me as an 18-year-old. Not only did my body not tolerate the treatments very well but it was tough to see other people, some my newfound friends, doing dialysis at the same time with me and then not show up one day because they succumbed to the harshness of kidney disease.
______________________________________________________ 
"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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