April is Organ and Tissue Donation Month, and more donors needed

The past 10 years of my life have been made possible by an unknown family who, in their time of tragedy, made the thoughtful decision to donate the organs of their loved one.

In 1995, I had been diagnosed with terminal lung disease and was placed on the waiting list for a lung transplant. I was on oxygen and eventually needed a wheelchair to venture any distance. About a year later, the family of my donor was able to find some good out of their tragic loss of a loved one by giving the "gift of life" to me and others. To them I am eternally grateful.

Since my transplant, I have seen the birth of my first granddaughter and my second grandson. I traveled to the Rocky Mountains for the wedding of my youngest daughter and to Arkansas to see my second daughter receive her masters degree. I have also mentored a number of people who have been placed on the lung waiting list.

Unfortunately, many of those on the list will not live long enough to receive the "gift of life." There are not enough organs to go around. That is part of the reason that I am a volunteer with LifeLink of Georgia. We attempt to provide people with information about organ donation. We ask that each person learn about donation, decide if they wish to be a donor if they are eligible when they die, and, most important, let their loved ones know what they have decided.

More information is available by calling LifeLink at (800) 544-6667 or at the Web site, Lifelinkfound.org. Click on "Facts About Organ and Tissue Donation" for information.

Bob Hudson, Martinez