On July 30, 2013, I turned fourteen, acquired my driver’s permit, and officially became an organ donor by simply checking a box on the DOT form. Taking charge of these decisions made me very excited. You may think a typical fourteen-year-old wouldn’t get excited about becoming an organ donor, but something about donating my body to save others made me literally say, “why not?” Since then, I now live by the example of someone whom I never met but has inspired me to be an advocate for young organ donors today.

Cori McBride from Pardeeville, Wisconsin, was a fifteen-year-old who was seriously injured in an ATV accident on July 12, 2017. She passed away on the 15th of July. Cori had decided to become an organ donor only a few months before her accident and within one day, ALL of her organs, besides her lungs, had recipients. I never met Cori, but after speaking with her family, it was clear being an organ donor was something that was very important to her. Because of her selflessness, she saved six lives, including our family’s good friend, Nate.

Ann Baggett (Schnoebelen), whom my family has known and loved for years, was newly married to Nate when he received his first liver transplant in March of 2017. Although live donors aren’t as common, Nate’s first liver came from his cousin, Aly. She was able to donate a portion of her liver, which enabled Nate to live a new life. Aly’s liver saved his life, but within four months it was apparent this liver wasn’t the lifelong liver he needed. This is where Cori’s selfless gift of organ donation was able to fill the void. We recently received news that Nate’s new liver is now rejecting after nine months of an illness-free life and he will again be on the National Donor Registry in wait of another generous, selfless person.

Watching Nate and Ann go through these trials throughout the last year has not only been heart-wrenching but also made being an organ donor that much more important to me. If you choose to donate your organs like I have, be sure to share your wishes with your family, as they are ultimately the ones that will carry out your gift of life. An average of 21 people will die today because they need an organ donor.  What if a person you knew was on the waiting list? As Myles Monroe said, “ The value of life is not in its duration, but in its donation. You are not important because of how long you live, you are important because of how effectively you live.”

Lauryn Montuoro

Opinion Writer