The best thing you can do to help is to learn more about organ donation, sign up, or donate to Gift of Life. “The volunteers at the Gift of Life Michigan are good neighbors because they care about organ and tissue donation enough to go out into the community and volunteer by sharing the message about how important it is for people to register to be organ and tissue donation donors,” he said. Thanks to the more than 400 volunteers with Gift of Life Michigan, 27 of whom are from mid-Michigan, Patrick says more Michiganders can receive lifesaving organs. If there is, that means you are an organ and tissue donor.Ĭurrently, there are over 2,500 Michiganders waiting for an organ donation. They are asking people to take out their driver’s license and see if there's a heart in the corner. Patrick says Gift of Life Michigan has a new statewide campaign called Check Your Heart. And when people do that, that is the best way for people to save lives," he said. And since the story ran in good neighbors, 290,000 people across the state of Michigan have added their names to the Michigan organ donor registry. And, to have Mike in his life and to see how that life has been changed because of his daughter, Amaia, it's when those stories are told that inspires people to join the Michigan organ donor registry. John had this incredibly difficult tragedy happen in his life and made the most generous decision to have his daughter be a donor. “When John and Mike tell their story it helps Gift of Life Michigan. Patrick O’Brien is the vice-president of communications for Gift of Life Michigan and says having John and Mike tell their story is important. Mike is doing great and says he is forever grateful for Amaia and her dad, John. We just walked towards each other and give each other the biggest hug. He turned around and came walking towards me and he's got tears in his eyes and so did I. “I saw him, and he had his back towards me, and I said, ‘Hey are you, John?’ And he recognized my voice right away. Several months later Mike and John met in person. Later that day, Mike was in the operating room about to receive a liver transplant thanks to Amaia and her family. I could just see him deteriorating,” she said. His wife Sharon says she was doing a lot of praying. While John was deciding to donate Amaia’s organs, across the state in Holland, Mike Lopez was fighting for his life. When I snapped out of it, I don't know how long the lady had been talking but my response must have been in a matter of seconds because she stopped and she said, 'Are you sure?' I'm like, 'Yeah, of course, you know she loved to help people.' And then that's when the process started," he said. I mean it was just she just loved to help a little too much. She loved to help my mother plant flowers in the garden. It was of Amaia and her personality and how she loved to help people. It was almost like I had a thought bubble that popped up in my head. Learn how marrow donation works, the steps of a patient transplant, steps of donation, and factors that can impact the likelihood of finding a match.“As she was talking to me. How does a patients ethnic background affect matchingĪva, transplant recipient with her marrow donor, MichelleĪ marrow transplant may be someone’s only hope for a cure.One simple action can be the difference that gives a patient hope for the future. The cure for blood cancer is in the hands of ordinary people. Myths and facts about blood stem cell donation.We conduct research to improve transplant outcomes provide support and resources for patients, and partner with a global network. Be The Match® is a global leader in bone marrow transplantation.
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