"There are many ways to join our team here at Transplant Success, but if you've been encouraged, the simplest way is to share your success!"
Until recently, I had little to do with Transplant Success. I was familiar with the organization and even played a small part in its inception. Leon Mathis, the founder of Transplant Success, and I discussed the concept in great detail until he finally filed all of the legal documents that were required to make Transplant Success a reality. While Leon was completely immersed in its day to day operations, I remained in the background, advising, agreeing and disagreeing, but having no real hands on experiences that I can claim credit for.
My interest in Transplant Success and organ transplantation in general came as a result of watching my friend Leon go through the process of living with liver disease, being placed on a waiting list, and eventually getting a call that a liver had been found for him. As his friend, I, along with other family members spent lots of time caring for him as his health began to fail while he continued to wait for that fateful call. Until then, I had no opinion one way or the other about organ donation because I was never personally affected by it.
All of that changed of course and the experience made me realize that my previous indifferent attitude had mostly to do with ignorance. It’s not that I didn’t care about people who needed an organ transplant, it’s just that I was not aware of the great need for organ donors. I think that must be the case with a majority of Americans. They just don’t know. One of the goals of Transplant Success is to change that. People need to know that there is a real need out there.
As the founder of Transplant Success, and a liver transplant recipient, Leon Mathis had a passion unlike any that I will be able to match. However, having known him and having discussed his vision in great detail, it is my personal goal to see that Transplant Success moves forward, always striving to maintain the integrity of that vision.
Since I can only relate as one who was a friend of a transplant recipient, not having received a transplant myself, I will rely heavily upon transplant recipients for guidance and leadership. If you are a transplant recipient, look for opportunities to serve as I begin to open up leadership and other volunteer positions in the coming months.
No longer in the background of Transplant Success, I find myself with an awesome responsibility, not only to the memory of my Friend, Leon, but to the transplant community as well. You already know too well, what it means to have to wait for a generous donor family to come forward in their time of grief to say “yes”, when asked about donating their loved one’s organs. You can help me encourage countless organ transplant candidates, recipients, potential organ donors and their families, and even living donors, by sharing your experiences as you were given another chance at life.
Please take some time to read the profiles and stories of transplant recipients and encourage others to do the same. There are many ways to join our team here at Transplant Success, but if you’ve been encouraged, the simplest way is to share your success!
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