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- TODAY IN THE UNITED STATES, THERE ARE MORE THAN
111,000 PEOPLE
ON THE ORGAN TRANSPLANT WAITING LIST.
THEIR LIVES, HOPES, AND DREAMS ARE PUT ON HOLD AS THEY WAIT
FOR SOMEONE TO DONATE THE GIFT OF LIFE,
BUT EVERY DAY, 18 OF THESE PEOPLE DIE WAITING.
JOSE VARGAS, GRACE LOPEZ, AND LIZBETH ALCALA
WERE ALL FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO RECEIVE DONATIONS,
BUT THEY HAVE SOMETHING ELSE IN COMMON--
THEY’RE 3 OF THE 20, 000 HISPANICS
WHO HAVE FOUND THEIR NAMES ON THE LIST,
A LIST IN WHICH ALMOST 1 IN 6 OF THOSE CURRENTLY WAITING
ARE HISPANIC.
SOMETIMES, BEING PLACED ON THE TRANSPLANT WAITING LIST
IS UNEXPECTED.
THIS WAS THE CASE FOR JOSE VARGAS,
A YOUNG SOLDIER WHO WAS ON A TRIP WITH HIS WIFE
AND INFANT DAUGHTER WHEN HE HEARD THE LIFE-CHANGING NEWS.
- WE WERE IN HAWAII WHEN HE WAS DIAGNOSED
WITH CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE.
THEY TOLD HIM HE WOULD NOT LIVE ANOTHER YEAR
WITHOUT A HEART TRANSPLANT.
- HE WAS PRETTY SICK. IT WAS PRETTY CLEAR
THAT HIS CONDITION HAD PROGRESSED PRETTY BADLY.
IT’S DIFFERENT WITH HEART TRANSPLANTS
THAN IT IS WITH KIDNEYS.
THERE ARE WAYS TO SUPPORT KIDNEYS
THROUGH DIALYSIS,
AND FAMILY MEMBERS CAN DONATE KIDNEYS FOR FAMILY MEMBERS
THAT NEED KIDNEY TRANSPLANTATION,
BUT WITH THE HEART, IT’S A VERY DIFFERENT STORY.
USUALLY WHEN PEOPLE COME TO TALK ABOUT HEART TRANSPLANT,
YOU’RE PROJECTING FOR DOWN THE ROAD.
TRANSPLANTS, EVEN IF YOU LIST SOMEBODY RELATIVELY QUICKLY,
THEY CAN TAKE A WHILE BEFORE THEY ACTUALLY HAPPEN.
- THE PEOPLE THAT GET TRANSPLANTED,
TO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE WAITING FOR A LIFE-SAVING ORGAN,
IS VERY, VERY-- THE GAP IS VERY HUGE.
- THAT WAS HARD TO TAKE IN BECAUSE WE KNEW WE NEEDED ONE
AND...YOU KNOW, WITHOUT IT, HE WOULDN’T BE HERE.
- I CAN SAY I WAS NOT EDUCATED ENOUGH ABOUT ORGAN DONATION
OR THE NEED FOR ORGAN DONATION.
- I GOT ON THE COMPUTER, AND I LOOKED UP EVERYTHING
ABOUT HIS HEART MEDICINE AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT TO EXPECT,
YOU KNOW, WITH HIS HEART DISEASE
AND COMPLICATIONS THAT COME ALONG WITH IT.
- ULTIMATELY, THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE
EXCEPT WAIT, A SITUATION GRACE LOPEZ WAS ALSO
BECOMING VERY FAMILIAR WITH.
- IT’S BEEN ABOUT 6 YEARS.
DOCTORS WOULD TELL ME THAT I WOULD HAVE 5 YEARS ONLY
TO EITHER BE TRANSPLANTED, OR I WON’T MAKE IT,
I’LL BE DEAD...
BUT I PROVED THEM WRONG.
- GRACE, HER HUSBAND, AND CHILDREN HAD WAITED
PATIENTLY FOR THE CALL LETTING THEM KNOW AN ORGAN
WAS FINALLY AVAILABLE,
AND WHEN THE CALL FINALLY CAME, GRACE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN
TO LOOK FORWARD TO WHAT WOULD COME.
- AT THIS POINT, I MEAN, IT SOUNDS LIKE A GREEN LIGHT,
BUT I DON’T WANT TO HAVE-- YOU KNOW, HAVE MY HOPES
ALL UP VERY HIGH.
EVERYONE’S EXCITED AROUND HERE.
ALL THE NURSES-- "I HEARD, I HEARD, I HEARD!"
SO I’M EXCITED, TOO.
- WELL, WE’RE EXCITED ABOUT BEING THE GOOD POSSIBILITY
OF, YOU KNOW, THESE ORGANS COMING THROUGH
AND, YOU KNOW, SO WE CAN PUT THIS BEHIND WITH HER ILLNESS,
AND GOD WILLING, YOU KNOW, THEY COME THROUGH.
BUT WE KNOW IN THE BACK OF OUR MINDS
THAT THE SURGEONS TOLD US THAT, YOU KNOW, ONCE THEY GET
THE ORGANS OUT THAT THEY COULD BE A POSSIBILITY
OF NOT WORKING OUT.
WELL, THEY HAPPENED TO US TWICE BACK ABOUT MAYBE IN FEBRUARY
OR JANUARY, WHERE THEY TOLD US, "THERE’S SOME ORGANS."
WE WERE ON OUR WAY HERE, AND THEN THEY CALLED US
ON THE CELL PHONE AND SAID, "HEY. YOU KNOW WHAT?
THEY’RE NO GOOD."
THAT’S WHY I SAY IT’S HARD FOR ME TO BE HOPEFUL AND HAPPY
AND ALL BECAUSE GOD HAS THE LAST WORD.
- BUT TRANSPLANTATION, WHILE PROVIDING HOPE AND THE PROMISE
OF A NEW FUTURE, CAN ALSO BE STRESSFUL
FOR THE FAMILIES OF LOVED ONES.
- I WANT YOU AND ALEXIS TO UNDERSTAND THAT EVEN THOUGH
THE DOCTORS CAME IN, THEY SAY THAT THERE IS A POSSIBILITY.
THAT MEANS THAT’S NOT A GUARANTEE FOR SURE.
IT MAY BE TONIGHT, IT MAY NOT BE TONIGHT.
JUST KEEP IN MIND THAT MAYBE THIS TRANSPLANT WON’T HAPPEN.
AND IT’S OK. MAMA’S NOT SAD.
MAMA’S NOT GONNA CRY.
MAYBE THERE’S SOMETHING ELSE FOR ME.
JUST KEEP IN MIND, DON’T BE UPSET IF IT WAS A RED LIGHT.
EVERYTHING’S GONNA BE OK, THOUGH.
MOMMY WILL BE HOME SOON.
- JOSE VARGAS ON THE OTHER HAND, WAS PROBABLY NOT COMING
HOME ANYTIME SOON,
AND TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, HIS INFANT DAUGHTER JOCELYN
WAS ALSO ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL
WITH A LIFE-THREATENING CONDITION.
- MY DAUGHTER WAS ON THE FOURTH FLOOR,
AND JOSE WAS ON THE FIFTH FLOOR.
SHE WAS IN THE NICU.
I WOULD SIT WITH JOCELYN FOR A FEW HOURS,
AND THEN I WOULD TAKE A BREAK AND THEN GO SEE JOSE
AND SIT WITH HIM FOR A LITTLE BIT
AND VISIT, THEN GO SEE HER.
YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT,
"WELL, WE’RE GOING TO GET THROUGH IT."
- JOSE’S WIFE JODIE NOW FACED A HORRIBLE SITUATION,
BOTH HER HUSBAND AND DAUGHTER IN THE SAME HOSPITAL,
FIGHTING FOR LIFE,
AND WHILE SHE CLUNG TO THE HOPE OF DOCTORS FINDING
AN ORGAN FOR JOSE, THEIR DAUGHTER’S CONDITION
STEADILY WORSENED.
JOCELYN PASSED AWAY BEFORE HER FIRST BIRTHDAY.
FAMILIES AND CHILDREN ARE AFFECTED BY ORGAN DONATION
IN MANY WAYS.
THERE ARE CHILDREN LIKE GRACE’S WHO SUPPORT
A SICK PARENT THROUGH THE WAITING
AND RECOVERY PROCESS,
BUT THERE ARE ALSO CHILDREN IN NEED
OF A LIFE-SAVING ORGAN THEMSELVES, SOME FROM BIRTH.
SUCH WAS THE CASE FOR LIZBETH ALCALA.
WHEN SHE WAS JUST AN INFANT, A TUMOR WAS DISCOVERED
ON HER LIVER.
AS HER CONDITION CONTINUED TO DECLINE,
DOCTORS DETERMINED THAT A TRANSPLANT WAS
THE ONLY WAY TO SAVE HER LIFE.
- 12:00, THE PAGER SOUND.
WE WERE ASLEEP,
AND I CALL TO THE NURSE COORDINATOR,
AND SHE TOLD ME HER LIVER IS READY,
AND SHE ASK ME, "CAN YOU BRING HER RIGHT NOW?"
AND I SAID, "YES."
- UPON THEIR ARRIVAL AT THE HOSPITAL,
LIZBETH WAS TAKEN STRAIGHT INTO SURGERY,
WHILE HER MOTHER EDUWIGES ALCALA
NERVOUSLY WAITED TO LEARN HER DAUGHTER’S OUTCOME.
- I NEVER DID MANY THINGS THAT I DID THAT DAY.
WHEN SHE’S IN THE SURGERY ROOM, I NEVER EAT,
I NEVER GO OUT OF THE WAITING ROOM,
AND THAT DAY I WENT, JUST THINKING,
"EVERYTHING IS GONNA TO BE OK."
I WAS ASKING GOD TO HELP HER.
I WAS TALKING TO HER TO "HOLD HIS HAND, HOLD HIS HAND,
YOU CAN DO IT," AND SHE DID IT.
HER DOCTOR TOLD ME SHE’S GONNA NEED ONE MONTH TO RECOVER.
SHE STARTED TO WALK, STARTED TO TALK.
AFTER TWO WEEKS, THEY TOLD ME, "ARE YOU READY?
YOU CAN TAKE HER HOME."
I SAID, "IF YOU THINK I’M GONNA TAKE GOOD CARE OF HER,
I TAKE HER HOME."
THIS IS THE ONLY THING THAT MAKE HER DIFFERENT
THAN THE OTHER CHILD.
- AS NEARLY ALWAYS HAPPENS IN ORGAN TRANSPLANT,
LIZBETH’S NEW LIVER CHANGED HER LIFE,
AND SHE WAS SOON GROWING INTO A BEAUTIFUL, LOVING DAUGHTER.
JOSE AND JODIE’S LIFE ALSO CHANGED,
AND IT BEGAN WITH A LATE-NIGHT PHONE CALL.
- I THINK IT WAS 12:53 A.M. AND I HEARD THE PHONE,
AND I THOUGHT, "WELL, MAYBE I’M JUST DREAMING,"
SO I JUST KIND OF BRUSHED IT OFF,
AND IT KEPT GOING, AND I JUST JUMPED OUT,
AND I GO, "HIS HEART, IT’S HIS HEART, IT’S HIS HEART."
AND HE DIDN’T EVEN HEAR THE PHONE RING AT ALL.
I HAD TO WAKE HIM UP.
I’M LIKE, "JOSE, IT’S YOUR HEART."
- THE TRANSPLANT ITSELF WENT INCREDIBLY SMOOTHLY.
I THINK HE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL A TOTAL OF ONE WEEK
AND WAS DISCHARGED ABOUT ONE WEEK AFTER THE TRANSPLANT
DOING VERY WELL.
- HE SAID HE COULD HEAR HIS HEART, LIKE, IN HIS EARS,
AND IT WAS JUST SO-- IT WAS A POUNDING
THAT HE HAD NOT HEARD IN YEARS.
THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME HE HAD FELT GOOD IN PROBABLY,
WELL, SINCE HE’D BEEN-- BEFORE HE’D BEEN DIAGNOSED.
SO IT HAD BEEN SINCE 2002 SINCE HE’D FELT GOOD.
- JOSE IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO FEEL BETTER.
GRACE WAS HOPING FOR THE SAME OUTCOME
BECAUSE HER BIG DAY HAD FINALLY ARRIVED.
- WELL, TODAY IS A BIG DAY.
- YEAH? WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN?
- IT’S TRANSPLANT DAY TODAY.
THEY SAY IT’S A PERFECT MATCH.
NOT TOO BIG, NOT TOO SMALL.
IT WILL FIT ME JUST RIGHT.
THIS GUY HERE ASKED A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
- WELL, I GUESS IT’S NORMAL, YOU KNOW, TO ASK QUESTIONS,
YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH IF THEY DON’T MAKE SENSE, YOU KNOW,
BUT EVERY DAY YOU LEARN SOMETHING NEW, YOU KNOW,
THINGS THAT WE DIDN’T KNOW BEFORE AS FAR AS TRANSPLANT,
YOU KNOW, WHERE THEY COME FROM OR HOW LONG THEY TAKE.
SO I SEEM TO HAVE A LITTLE BIG MOUTH
AS FAR AS ASKING QUESTIONS.
- GRACE IS A FIGHTER.
THROUGHOUT THE WAIT FOR A NEW LIVER AND KIDNEY,
SHE CONTINUALLY DEFIED EXPECTATIONS.
- WELL, SHE’S BEEN, YOU KNOW, REALLY DOING GOOD, YOU KNOW.
SHE’S BEEN STRONG, AND THE DOCTORS BEEN SURPRISED
THAT, YOU KNOW, SHE’S ALERT AND EATING AND EVERYTHING.
- YEAH, THE DOCTORS AND THE NURSES HERE SAY
THAT PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO HAVE BEEN ON THIS MACHINE, DIALYSIS,
WITH MY COMPLICATIONS SHOULD BE OUT,
SHOULD BE NOT EATING, BUT I EAT LIKE CRAZY.
I THINK I’VE GAINED SO MUCH WEIGHT HERE IN THE HOSPITAL.
- AFTER 6 YEARS OF WAITING, GRACE WAS READY.
- I FEEL GOOD.
- ARE YOU SCARED AT ALL?
- NOT AT ALL, AT ALL, NO.
I’M NOT SCARED, I’M NOT SAD, I’M NOT--
I JUST--I JUST FEEL AT PEACE.
THEY SAID 9:00 IN THE MORNING
THEY’RE EXPECTING ME TODAY.
SO IT’S ABOUT 8:15 OR SO?
- 8:30. - 8:30, WOW.
- EVEN IN TIMES OF JOY WHEN RECIPIENTS LOOK FORWARD
TO NEW HEALTH AND NEW LIFE, IT’S NOT UNCOMMON TO ALSO LOOK
BACK TO THINK OF THOSE WHO WERE SO GENEROUS IN A TIME OF GRIEF.
- IT WAS EXCITING AND SO SAD BECAUSE WE KNEW
WHEN WE GET A HEART
THAT SOMEONE’S LOSING THEIR LOVED ONE.
- MAYBE THEY CAN RELATE TO ANOTHER FAMILY
BEING IN SUCH PAIN,
AND THEY SAY, "IF MY FAMILY MEMBER CAN SAVE THEM
"OR THEIR FAMILY FROM BEING IN SUCH PAIN,
MAYBE IT’S WORTH IT."
IN A WAY, TO ME, IT’S A WAY FOR THEIR FAMILY
OR THEIR LOVED ONE TO LIVE ON,
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE SEE IT THAT WAY.
I HAVE SPOKEN TO A LOT OF DONOR FAMILIES THAT SAY,
YOU KNOW, "I MADE THE DECISION JUST BECAUSE, ONE,
"I WANTED TO AVOID ANOTHER FAMILY BEING
"IN THE SAME PAIN THAT I WAS,
"AND TWO, IT’S IN A WAY, I FEEL THAT MY FAMILY
OR MY LOVED ONE LIVES ON."
- ALTHOUGH DEPARTED, BABY JOCELYN’S SPIRIT CONTINUES
TO LIVE ON THROUGH HER FAMILY, HER MOTHER, HER FATHER,
AND NOW, EVEN THROUGH ILAN, HER BROTHER.
JUNE 30, WE FOUND OUT WE WERE PREGNANT WITH OUR SON.
WE WERE BLESSED WITH SO MANY MIRACLES IN OUR LIFE.
THIS IS WHAT WAS MEANT TO BE.
WE HAVE A NEW HEART, WE HAVE A NEW PREGNANCY,
AND WE HAVE A NEW LIFE.
- AN ORGAN TRANSPLANT CAN GIVE RECIPIENTS SOMETHING
THEY NEVER THOUGHT THEY WOULD POSSESS, TIME,
TIME TO LIVE, TIME TO LOVE, TIME TO GROW,
AND THEIR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS ALSO SHARE IN THIS GIFT.
- WE BOTH HAD A BIRTHDAY.
YES, WE CELEBRATE.
WE WERE BORN ON THE SAME DAY, MARCH 3,
BUT HE IS OLDER THAN ME.
IT’S AN ACTUAL DOUBLE CELEBRATION.
WE’RE CELEBRATING OUR BIRTHDAY
AND 6 MONTHS SINCE MY TRANSPLANT.
- AND TIME DOES NOT DULL THE MEMORY OF WHAT GRACE
AND HER FAMILY HAVE BEEN THROUGH.
- I JUST REMEMBER A CONSTANT PAIN IN MY BODY.
TIRED, COMPLETELY TIRED.
I COULDN’T THINK OF ANYTHING, OF ANYBODY.
I WAS JUST ALWAYS COMPLAINING ABOUT HOW I WAS FEELING.
- OR OF THE GREAT GIFT THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN.
- I HAVE SOMEONE ELSE’S ORGANS, AND I’M ALIVE, AND I’M WELL.
NOTHING HURTS ANYMORE.
I FEEL GOOD, AND IT FEELS GOOD JUST TO FEEL GOOD.
- NOW, EVERY DAY, GRACE REFLECTS ON HOW THANKFUL
SHE IS FOR HER HEALTH, HER FAMILY,
AND FOR THE UNSELFISH DECISION THAT SAVED HER LIFE.
- I DON’T THINK THERE’S A DAY THAT I DON’T THINK
ABOUT MY DONOR’S FAMILY.
EVERY DAY, EVERY DAY, I THINK ABOUT THEM.
BECAUSE OF THEM, BECAUSE OF THEIR DECISION,
I’M HERE TODAY,
AND I SEE THINGS IN A TOTAL DIFFERENT WAY NOW.
- THE STORIES OF THESE AND OTHER ORGAN RECIPIENTS
SHARE A COMMON THEME, THE LIFE-CHANGING NATURE
OF ORGAN DONATION
AND WHAT A POWERFUL GIFT IT CAN BE.
- WE NEED PEOPLE LIKE JOSE AND OTHERS WHO CAN ACTUALLY GET
OUT THERE AND TELL PEOPLE JUST WHAT YOU CAN DO
BY BECOMING AN ORGAN DONOR.
NOT ONLY IS HE A SUCCESS STORY IN THAT HE’S DONE SO WELL,
HE’S JUST AN INCREDIBLY NICE GUY,
AND PEOPLE LIKE HIM AND WANT TO TALK TO HIM
AND BE AROUND HIM.
SO HE WILL ABSOLUTELY SUCCEED IN THAT.
I HAVE NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT.
- I TRY TO SPEAK ABOUT MY TRANSPLANT
TO AS MANY PEOPLE-- TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE.
I ALWAYS WEAR MY BRACELET ON MY RIGHT ARM.
IT SAYS, "DONATE LIFE."
IT SAYS IT IN SPANISH, ALSO.
IT’S A CONVERSATION STARTER FOR ME.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ASK ME, "WHERE’D YOU GET THAT BRACELET?"
I SAY, "YOU KNOW, I’M A HEART TRANSPLANT RECIPIENT."
- AS OF JUNE 2011, MORE THAN 17% OF ALL PEOPLE
WAITING FOR AN ORGAN ARE HISPANIC.
WHILE DIFFERENT RACES AND ETHNICITIES
FREQUENTLY MATCH, HAVING MORE HISPANICS
WHO CHOOSE TO DONATE WOULD RESULT IN A BETTER CHANCE
FOR EVERYONE ON THE LIST TO FIND A SUITABLE ORGAN.
- OUR HISPANIC COMMUNITY IS NOT EDUCATED ENOUGH
ON THE SUBJECT.
I HAVE APPROACHED A LOT OF MY FRIENDS,
A LOT OF PEOPLE IN MY COMMUNITY,
AND I HAVE TOLD THEM, YOU KNOW,
"WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT ORGAN DONATION?
OR WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT TRANSPLANTATION?"
AND SOME OF THEM JUST AVOID THE SUBJECT ALTOGETHER.
SOME OF THEM ARE INTERESTED, BUT A LOT OF THEM HAVE A LOT
OF MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS OF WHAT A TRANSPLANT IS
OR WHAT ORGAN DONATION ENTAILS.
- A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HESITANT TO BE ORGAN DONORS
AND FOR REASONS WHICH ARE UNDERSTANDABLE,
BUT WHEN YOU SEE SOMEONE LIKE JOSE
AND YOU HEAR HIS STORY AND YOU SEE
THAT HE HAS THIS FAMILY NOW,
AND HE WOULDN’T BE HERE IF SOMEBODY HADN’T
BEEN AN ORGAN DONOR.
- JOSE HAS EMBARKED ON A MISSION TO EDUCATE
THOSE IN HIS COMMUNITY, HOPING THAT HIS WORK WILL RESULT
IN AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF HISPANICS WHO REGISTER
IN THEIR STATES AS ORGAN, EYE, AND TISSUE DONORS.
- THEY NEED TO KNOW, AND THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND
THE PROCESS AND NOT THAT IF YOU’RE IN AN ACCIDENT,
THEY’RE NOT GOING TO SAVE YOUR LIFE.
- IF THEY KNEW THE INFORMATION, IF THEY KNEW OR CLEARED A LOT
OF THE MYTHS THROUGH INFORMATION,
THEY’LL BE WILLING TO BE ORGAN DONORS.
I’M HOPING THAT BY LISTENING TO MY STORY,
A LOT OF PEOPLE CAN THINK MORE POSITIVE
ON THE WAY THAT IT DOES WORK.
I HAVE MY TRANSPLANT FOR 2 1/2 YEARS,
AND I’M GOING STRONG BECAUSE SOMEBODY WAS UNSELFISH
AND SOMEBODY GAVE ME THIS GREAT GIFT.
- THE TRANSPLANT WAITING LIST IS FILLED WITH PEOPLE,
PEOPLE JUST LIKE JOSE,
PEOPLE WHO ARE ONE DONATION AWAY FROM BEING HEALED,
FROM BEING ABLE TO LIVE THEIR LIVES
AND SPEND PRECIOUS TIME WITH THE PEOPLE THEY LOVE.
BY CHOOSING TO BECOME A DONOR, YOU’VE DONE MORE THAN GIVE
SOMEONE A SECOND CHANCE.
YOU’VE CHOSEN TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
YOU’VE CHOSEN LIFE.
PLEASE MAKE THE DECISION TO BE
AN ORGAN, EYE, AND TISSUE DONOR
AND TALK TO YOUR FAMILY AND LOVED ONES
ABOUT YOUR WISHES
AND LET THEM KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BEING A DONOR CAN MAKE.
LEARN THE FACTS AND REGISTER IN YOUR STATE TODAY
AT ORGANDONOR.GOV.