For the thousands of people in Michigan waiting for a life-saving organ transplant there's promising news. More and more people in the state are talking with their loved ones and agreeing to be donors.
One local woman's initial shock has turned into hope. @
"I fell apart at the seams. I thought I was dying," said Joan Smith.
Two and a half years ago, just one month after experiencing her first symptom, Joan Smith found out the horrifying news.
"The doctor apparently told me that I had end-stage liver failure, but I didn't hear that at all," said Smith.
She was in shock and doesn't remember much from that day. But she does remember calling her lawyer to finalize her will. She didn't think she would be leaving the hospital.
But she did leave, and now she's waiting for a new liver. She takes 8 pills a day and makes regular trips to the hospital and she's still struggling to find a diet that agrees with her disease.
Joan is not alone in her struggle.
"There are 3,000 people in Michigan that are waiting for a transplant that will save their lives," said Betsy Miner-Swartz, Gift of Life Michigan.
At Gift of Life Michigan scientists are working around the clock testing tissue and blood looking for matches.
"We had a record number of people join the Michigan Donor Registration. Almost 400,000 people decided last year to someday potentially save another person's life," said Miner-Swartz.
Much of that success is thanks to the secretary of state. A change in their policy now asks people up front if they want to register to be an organ donor. The push resulted in a 25 percent increase in organ donors.
"Think about people they know who maybe next week, next month might find themselves in the same situation that I'm in. It really makes a difference," said Smith.
It makes a difference to the thousands of people like Joan who has new hope that one day, someone will be willing to give her the gift of life.
For more information on how you can register to become an organ donor visit giftoflifemichigan.org or call your local Secretary of State office.
