Organ donation creates a living legacy

Greg Satterfield, who lives north of Marseilles and grew up in Ottawa, is a liver recipient. He considers himself one of many fortunate ones. On Dec. 31, 2017, he acquired the decision he was ready for.

“New 12 months’s Eve, I obtained a name there was a liver donor match,” Satterfield mentioned. “By New 12 months’s Day, I obtained my liver. How’s that for beginning the brand new 12 months proper?”

It started when Satterfield acquired sick. He went to see a gastroenterologist, Dr. Geetha Dodda, at OSF HealthCare and discovered he had stage 2 liver illness.

The liver is the biggest inner organ within the human physique. Its operate is to purify blood, retailer nutritional vitamins and assist digestion. In keeping with the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention, liver illness is the 12th main explanation for dying in the USA. Some signs embrace poor urge for food, fatigue and feeling ailing.

“I used to be very stunned I had a liver illness,” Satterfield mentioned. “I drank alcohol, however all the time carefully, no more than regular. However after I used to be harm at work, takng naproxen on high of that introduced on the liver illness. However nonetheless, it was laborious for me to imagine I had stage 2 liver illness.”

Dodda really useful Satterfield see Dr. Scott Cotler at Loyola Medical Heart in Maywood.

“Quickly I used to be visiting the hospital as soon as every week to have 7 to 9 liters of fluid taken out of my physique,” Satterfield mentioned. “I used to be blowing up with fluid and I used to be shedding protein when the fluid was eliminated. Ultimately I suffered an enormous weight reduction.”

Virtually a 12 months glided by, and there have been guidelines Satterfield needed to observe to be placed on a donor ready record.

“One of many necessities I needed to observe was taking 75 hours of lessons at a middle in La Salle,” he mentioned. “After I first acquired there, the trainer advised me I did not need to take the category as a result of I wasn’t an alcoholic. Nicely, my physician did not agree and I used to be again at school. And truly, I discovered fairly a bit, however it’s loads of work to be placed on that ready record. It isn’t like you may go to Walmart and choose up a liver,” he mentioned with fun.

The organ donation course of is a gradual one. It takes months to finish the entire medical testing, monetary and emotional counseling which are required to be permitted for a transplant. As soon as a affected person has a health care provider’s referral, there’s an preliminary medical appointment for a bodily examination, blood attracts and imaging testing. Blood work can also be performed to assist decide if a possible donor is an effective match.

“All of it labored out,” Satterfield mentioned. “After the transplant, I needed to take rejection drug drugs. I used to be taking handfuls of drugs, 1 milligram within the morning and night. I acquired sick a few occasions and it seems I used to be taking an excessive amount of drugs, however as soon as the medicine was adjusted, the whole lot simply labored out. I am very fortunate that I have not rejected the liver.”

“It is like playing,” Satterfield continued. “You’re taking an opportunity and hope you had been matched with an accurate donor. The bottom line is that your donor be near your age, and I used to be 58.”

Satterfield mentioned he by no means met the members of the family of his donor, however he did attempt to ship them a letter. Nevertheless, they by no means obtained the message as a result of they moved.

“Reward of Hope advised me I ought to write one other letter, and I am going to try this,” Satterfield mentioned.

He believes he is been given a second likelihood for a wholesome life.

“Due to an organ donor, I’ve acquired my well being and power. I could be an lively father and grandfather. There’s a lot to be pleased about. It is nonetheless superb to me, and I imagine I acquired a second likelihood at life. All I can actually say is that everybody needs to be a donor. It is that vital.”

About organ donations

To register as an organ donor on the Illinois Organ/Tissue Donation Registry, go to ilsos.gov/organdonorregister.

“Whereas registering locations an individual on the nationwide record of donors, we advocate that everybody have the dialog with their households,” mentioned Therese Michels, advertising and marketing and communications supervisor for Reward of Hope, a not-for-profit group that gives organ and tissue donation companies with donor household companies. “That method, when a household is coping with a tragic dying, they are going to remember to know their beloved one’s needs.”

There are 58 federally funded designated organ procurement organizations in the USA. Reward of Hope companies most of Illinois and Northwest Indiana.

“When a hospital has a affected person going through imminent dying, they’re required to contact Reward of Hope,” Michels mentioned. “Certainly one of our representatives goes to the hospital and approaches the household to have the dialog about donation. If the affected person is a registered donor, the household is knowledgeable of their beloved one’s legally binding resolution. If they don’t seem to be registered, the household is requested to make the choice on his or her behalf.”

Michels mentioned there are about 4,000 individuals in Illinois ready for an organ transplant, together with coronary heart, liver, kidney, lung, pancreas and small bowel. Tissue donations are also wanted for sufferers who want to switch corneas, pores and skin and coronary heart valves.

“You will need to point out that donations really assist donor households. Donations rewrite the ending of a really tragic story. Most donor households consider their family members as heroes and rejoice in the truth that their family members saved or enhanced the lives of others.”