Sharing transplant experiences
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/08/2019 (1396 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
One of my favourite things about writing this column every month is getting messages from people. I love receiving feedback. Hearing that people like my articles. And it’s really nice to know that people are reading my column.
That’s why I was very excited when I received a message a few weeks ago from a man named Ron, who is a heart transplant patient.
Ron had read my articles and knows that I promote organ donation and why it’s so important to me. I had a kidney transplant more than three years ago.
Ron is part of a group called HeartLinks Manitoba, which is a group of heart transplant recipients dedicated to promoting organ donation awareness and providing information to its members.
HeartLinks is a support group where individuals can share their journeys. From heart failure through transplant, they share their experiences with each other.
Ron invited me and my family to attend a group barbecue at Kildonan Park. My oldest daughter, my granddaughter and I attended.
I met Ron in person and a lot of other people who have gone through heart transplants.
Everyone was so nice and welcoming. I heard a little bit about their journeys. Even though I had a kidney transplant, I loved being included. Having a transplant is so huge.
A heart transplant is obviously very different from a kidney transplant — and a heart can only come from a deceased donor, while a kidney can come from a living donor.
I believe it’s important to talk to others who are going through the same things we are experiencing. Especially something so serious.
When I was first told that I had kidney failure and would need a transplant, I had no idea what I was in for. Even though things are different for every individual, it’s nice to be prepared or to help someone going through something you’ve already experienced.
I believe in organ donation and I am passionate about it. A stranger saved my life. Just as a stranger saved Ron’s life.
People might say I only promote organ donation because I needed an organ. But I promote it because I know what goes on with a person needing a transplant. What people go through and how scary it is to hear the words “you need an organ transplant.”
Please, if you are not already a registered organ donor, go to signupforlife.ca and register. One day you could be someone’s miracle.
Jennifer Laferriere is a community correspondent for Garden City.
Jennifer Laferriere
Garden City community correspondent
Jennifer Laferriere is a community correspondent for Garden City.