‘Donate Life’ event urges people to register for organ donation

John Conairis of Dayton, who underwent a coronary heart transplant eight years in the past, was amongst these urging individuals to ‘donate life,’ and enroll within the organ and tissue donor registry at an occasion Friday at Biddeford Metropolis Corridor. Tammy Wells Picture

BIDDEFORD — John Coniaris, who’s 59 half years previous, is wanting ahead to his subsequent birthday, and the one after that, and the one after that, and lots of extra sooner or later.

He’s having birthdays that he would seemingly not in any other case have had as a result of  eight years, 4 months and 11 days in the past, he obtained a brand new coronary heart; because of an individual who had signed an organ and tissue donation card.

Coniaris had cardiomyopathy, a illness of the center muscle that makes it exhausting for the center to pump blood to the remainder of the physique. He mentioned he felt tremendous when was at his physician’s workplace for a bodily. After mentioning that his father had the illness,  the physician to order an EKG, which discovered that he had it, too.

Coniaris waited two years for a brand new coronary heart, and through that interval, his well being deteriorated. He was in a wheelchair earlier than he obtained the decision that there was a brand new coronary heart for him, he mentioned.

A number of individuals obtained collectively to induce individuals to register to change into organ donors throughout an occasion Friday at Biddeford Metropolis Corridor, together with, from the left, Melanie Peffer of New England Donor Companies, volunteer David Gluck of Lyman, Biddeford Mayor Alan Casavant, Matt Bogor of NEDS, Liz Sandeman of the Lion’s Membership Organ Donor Committee and coronary heart transplant recipient John Coniaris of Dayton. Tammy Wells Picture

Coniaris was at Biddeford Metropolis Corridor on Friday — Valentine’s Day — together with a number of others, to induce individuals to “have a coronary heart” and enroll within the Maine Door Registry when making use of or renewing their driver’s license or by registering on-line at: www.RegisterME.org.

The Dayton resident mentioned he’s feeling nice as of late. He’s attending to see his youngsters and grandchildren.

“It’s a beautiful factor to do,” he mentioned of organ donation.

Matt Boger of New England Donor Companies, the group that coordinates organ and tissue donation for New England and Bermuda, famous that in Maine, 54 % of drivers have signed as much as change into organ donors trough the Bureau of Motor Automobiles, and he and others want to see that quantity enhance.

Greater than 5,500 individuals in New England are awaiting an organ transplant, Boger mentioned. About 22 individuals throughout the nation die each day awaiting an organ or tissue donation.

Boger and others are asking individuals to enroll so that somebody may profit from their organs and tissue upon their demise. He mentioned all religions assist organ donation, and any medical historical past is appropriate.

Additionally talking Friday was David Gluck of Lyman, whose father Kenneth, a doctor, died in 2006 whereas awaiting a liver transplant. He had been positioned on the donation listing on the finish of January that 12 months. David had undergone testing to change into a residing donor, however that wasn’t to be – his father died on April 1, 2006.

“I had all the time supported organ donation, however this actually hit house,” mentioned Gluck, so he determined to get entangled with encouraging individuals to register to change into an organ donor at their demise.

Biddeford Mayor Alan Casavant, who learn a proclamation supporting organ donation, mentioned he had a buddy who had a coronary heart concern when in his 30s and obtained a transplant.

“After we noticed him again in his enterprise, it meant a lot to us,” he mentioned.

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