Let life sing

Every April, National Donate Life Month is observed across the United States. The month seeks to raise awareness about donation, and encourage Americans to register as donors for organs, eyes and tissue. It also recognizes those who have saved the lives of others by being a donor.

With a different theme every year, this year’s theme is “Let Life Sing,” with birds as the symbol. According to the Donate Life’s website, the choice to use birds is stated as,

“Birds are known across many cultures as one of the most welcomed and visible signs of spring. They represent both new beginnings and visits from loved ones who have passed away. The yearly return of birds and their songs offer us a sense of peace and hope.”

The staff in the Clarke County Treasurer’s office is one such organization that works to promote organ donation. For one employee, the month holds an extra special meaning, as she was the recipient of a life-saving organ in 2022.

Donation

In August 2017, then-18-year-old Esmeralda Elizondo was visiting her grandmother in Texas. A trip to the eye doctor uncovered retinal bleeding behind Elizondo’s eyes, and a blood pressure check registered it at 260/184. After a trip to the emergency room for bloodwork, Elizondo was found to be in renal failure. She immediately started dialysis, and started hemodialysis treatments when she returned home to New Mexico.

A little over two years later, Elizondo moved to Iowa to be closer to family who could help her as she continued hemodialysis. She eventually changed to peritoneal dialysis, where a catheter is inserted into one’s abdomen to be given dialysis and done at home, and continued her wait for a kidney. Initially, Elizondo’s mother had wanted to be a donor and while she was found to be a match, cysts in her kidney disqualified her. Next, her sister wanted to donate, but was unable to do so as she was pregnant.

A potential donor was found in July 2022, however after being taken back for surgery it was found the donor’s tissue type was not compatible with Elizondo’s. That September, five years after the start of her journey, Elizondo received a call about another donor and this time it was a perfect match. She received a new kidney on Sept. 4, 2022.

“I would do it all over again. It was worth it, it was worth the wait for sure. I’m very grateful that there’s donors out there, cause you never know,” said Elizondo, sharing with those who are waiting to not give up.

Donation numbers

Across the United States, there are more than 104,000 people who are waiting for life-saving transplants, with 16 of that number dying every day as they await a transplant. Every eight minutes, another name is added to that list; there are over 575 Iowans awaiting a transplant that will save their lives. There are 1.7 million Iowas who are registered donors.

In Clarke County, the Iowa Donor Network lists 47.60% of residents as registered donors. One donor can save up to eight lives with organ donation, and help between 50 and 300 lives with tissue donation.

Data for 2024 from the Iowa Donor Network shows that last year 387 organs were transplanted, 130 donors and 1,118 tissue donors. As of Jan. 2 of this year, there are the following needs for Iowans on the organ donation list: 10 hearts, 16 lungs, 18 livers, 515 kidneys, 27 kidney/pancreas and seven pancreases.

Be a donor

Any resident in Iowa can be an organ donor. To register, Iowans over 18 can visit the Iowa Donor Network at IowaDonorNetwork.org, organize.com for the national registry database or stop by the Clarke County Driver’s License and Vehicle Registration office located in the courthouse.

There are no fees to be an organ donor. There is no age limit, and medical history will not automatically exclude someone from being eligible for organ donation.

A person can also be a living donor by donating part of or a whole organ to someone else. Such donations would be a kidney, lobe of a lung, section of the liver, or portions of the pancreas or intestine. Types of living donation include related, non-related, non-direct-ed and paired exchange.

Other ways to help include donating blood, donating plasma and register for the bone marrow donation registry.