Campaign in Kentucky getting pets involved advocating for their owners in need of organ transplants
Campaign in Kentucky getting pets involved advocating for their owners in need of organ transplants
Updated: 1:34 PM EDT Apr 2, 2023
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ABOUT THE SAVE MY HUMAN AD CAMPAIGN. IT’S AN EFFORT TO GET MORE FOLKS ON THE ORGAN DONOR REGISTRY. AND HERE THIS MORNING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT. WE HAVE SHELLY SNYDER. SHE IS WITH DONATE LIFE KENTUCKY. WE ALSO HAVE AARON THACKER. HE’S A FORMER MR. KENTUCKY. WE GOT A CELEBRITY IN THE HOUSE, ALSO CHAMPION BODYBUILDER. AND HE IS CURRENTLY WAITING ON THE KIDNEY TRANSPLANT LIST. GOOD MORNING TO BOTH OF YOU. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. LET’S START FIRST WITH YOU, SHELLEY. TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS CAMPAIGN. YOU ALL ARE GETTING THE ANIMALS INVOLVED TODAY, RIGHT? WE ARE. I MEAN, YOU THINK ABOUT HOW MUCH WE LOVE OUR FUR BABIES AND THEY’RE A PART OF OUR FAMILY. AND WHEN A PATIENT IS ON THE WAITING LIST, THEY FEEL THAT, TOO. AND THE NEED FOR TRANSPLANTATION IS SO IMPORTANT. AND THE MORE PEOPLE WE HAVE REGISTERS, ORGAN DONORS, IF WE HAD EVERYONE REGISTER AS ORGAN DONORS, WE WOULDN’T HAVE A WAITING LIST LIKE WE HAVE. WOW. AARON TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR STORY. YOU HAVE BEEN WAITING NOW FOR A KIDNEY FOR SOME 13 MONTHS. YEAH, I HAD A KIDNEY TRANSPLANT IN MARCH 2011. THEN I GOT COVID AND LOST IT. SO I’VE BEEN BACK ON DIALYSIS NOW FOR ABOUT 18 MONTHS AND IT TOOK ME A WHILE TO GET BACK ONTO THE TRANSPLANT LIST. BUT IT’S A STRUGGLE. IT’S A BITTER STRUGGLE. AND ANYONE THAT’S DEALING WITH DIALYSIS OR END STAGE RENAL FAILURE CAN TELL YOU THERE’S JUST A BEING IN DIALYSIS AND GOING THREE DAYS A WEEK AND BE IN IT FOR 5 HOURS A DAY RIGHT THERE TAKES VALUE AND THEN ALL THE ANCILLARY STUFF THAT HAPPENS TO WITH, YOU KNOW, HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE AND INSOMNIA AND STUFF LIKE THAT. IT’S A IT’S VERY CHALLENGING. SO I YOU KNOW, IT’S THE GIFT OF A KIDNEY IS JUST SUCH A HUGE GIFT. AND FOR ANYONE OUT THERE THAT WANTS TO DONATE, I WOULD DEFINITELY TELL YOU AND TELL THEM TO GO AHEAD AND MAKE THE CALL AND TRY TO TRY TO GET ON THE LIST. AND THERE’S YOU KNOW, THE TRANSPLANT LIST. THERE’S ALSO AN EXCHANGE PROGRAM. SO IF LIKE SOMEONE TO DONATE TO ME, THEY DIDN’T MATCH ME. THEY CAN DONATE TO SOMEONE ELSE AND THAT PERSON CAN DONATE TO ME. THERE’S ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT PROGRAMS OUT THERE TO HELP PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING THROUGH WHAT I’M GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW. SURE. SHELLY, I WOULD IMAGINE A LOT OF FOLKS WATCHING THIS THINK TO THEMSELVES. I’D BE GLAD TO DONATE. I JUST DON’T KNOW HOW TO EVEN GET INVOLVED OR HOW TO EVEN START THE PROCESS. BUT WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO? ABSOLUTELY. WELL, THE EASIEST THING, FIRST THING THAT EVERYBODY CAN DO IS REGISTER AS AN ORGAN DONOR. THEY CAN DO IT ONLINE OF COURSE, WHEN YOU GET YOUR DRIVER’S LICENSE IS A COMMON WAY. BUT WE DON’T WANT PEOPLE TO WAIT. JUMP ON AND REGISTER. AND THAT SAYING THAT WHEN I’M GONE AND I NO LONGER NEED MY ORGANS, I WANT TO HELP EVERYBODY, I CAN. AND THE OTHER OPTION IS TO BE CONSIDER A LIVING DONOR. AND THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT IS TO CALL OUR LOCAL TRANSPLANT CENTER HERE IN LOUISVILLE IS JEWISH HOSPITAL AND LEXINGTON AND UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY OR NORTON CHILDREN’S. AND THEY HAVE THEIR TRANSPLANT WAITING LIST. AND YOU’RE ABLE TO GO THROUGH SOME TESTING AND BE CONSIDERED AS A MATCH. THIS IS LITERALLY LIFE GIVING. IT IS. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO FOLKS THAT ARE THINKING ABOUT IT BUT JUST NOT SURE? I WOULD SAY DO THE RESEARCH. YOU KNOW, THERE’S A LOT INFORMATION OUT THERE ON THE INTERNET. DO THE RESEARCH. THE GOOD THING ABOUT THE HOSPITALS DOWN HERE, WHEN YOU GO THROUGH THE PROCESS AND DONATE, YOU GET TO MEET PEOPLE WHO’S BEEN THROUGH IT SO THEY CAN KIND OF SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES, STUFF. SO I WOULD DEFINITELY GET ALONG. SHIREEN, IN YOUR. I’M HERE TO ALWAYS ANSWER QUESTIONS FOR THESE FOR ANYBODY IF THEY NEED TO TALK TO ME. BUT DEFINITELY RESEARCH AND GET INVOLVED. IF YOU CAN’T GET INVOLVED, MAYBE SOMEONE IN YOUR FAMILY CAN GET INVOLVED. YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE I’VE HAD TWO PEOPLE TRY TO DONATE TO ME, BUT I COULDN’T DONATE BECAUSE OF PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES. BUT THERE’S OTHERS IN THEIR FAMILY OR THEIR FRIENDSHIP NETWORK THAT COULD HELP. WOW.
Campaign in Kentucky getting pets involved advocating for their owners in need of organ transplants
Updated: 1:34 PM EDT Apr 2, 2023
Donate Life Kentucky is currently operating a campaign called “Save My Human.”The idea is to use pets as advocates for their owners who need organ transplants.You can go here to learn about the campaign, and if you need a transplant or know someone who does, you can see how to get your pet involved.People can always sign up to donate their organs after they have died, but people can also sign up as living donors.To do that, you can call Jewish Hospital or Norton Children’s Hospital in Louisville. You can contact University of Kentucky Hospital in Lexington.People who’d like to be living donors go through some testing to see if they are a match for someone in need. You can learn more about that here.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. —
Donate Life Kentucky is currently operating a campaign called “Save My Human.”
The idea is to use pets as advocates for their owners who need organ transplants.
You can go here to learn about the campaign, and if you need a transplant or know someone who does, you can see how to get your pet involved.
People can always sign up to donate their organs after they have died, but people can also sign up as living donors.
To do that, you can call Jewish Hospital or Norton Children’s Hospital in Louisville. You can contact University of Kentucky Hospital in Lexington.
People who’d like to be living donors go through some testing to see if they are a match for someone in need.
You can learn more about that here.
