Record-breaking organ donation in St. Louis area, one recipient shares story
“For a long time, I didn’t even know it existed.”
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - It is rare but life-saving. New data shows that in 2024, Mid-America Transplant impacted around 200,000 lives across the 84 counties it serves.
Jay Taff told First Alert 4 he didn’t know anything about organ donation when he found out he needed a double lung transplant.
“It was just a chance at a better life for me and the family. We have a granddaughter, she’s almost 4, and we had a weekend visit home during Jay’s recovery just a few weeks ago and he got to pick her up and piggyback, things he had never been able to do in her lifetime because his lungs just wouldn’t allow it,” said Trish and Jay Taff.
Mid-America Transplant connects patients with organs and in its 50th anniversary year, says they saw a 6% increase in donor authorizations locally. Patients received more kidneys and livers than ever before and 136 lungs in total.
“Currently, there are over 100,000 people waiting for a life-saving organ transplant in the United States, and here in our area alone, there are 1700 people waiting for that life-saving call each and every day,” said Lindsey Speir with Mid-America Transplant.
Making that life-saving call even more special, especially when it’s a lung.
“Lungs and hearts aren’t transplanted as commonly as liver and kidneys, and that’s due to the process it takes for a lung transplant and how much everything has to be perfect,” said Speir.
“It’s never a positive situation when you lose a family member. We are very aware that our donor’s wife is grieving his loss even though we are celebrating our new life. When you think of that you could change someone’s whole story, you could even change how their story ends by simply being willing,” said Trish Taff.
To become an organ and tissue donor, you can here.
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