I’m sure you’ve heard about the extraordinary story of five Chicago-area adults, also known as the “five good Samaritans,” who participated in Loyola University Medical Center’s Pay-It-Forward Kidney Transplant Program, where they generously donated their kidneys to complete strangers. Powerful stuff – right!
This was a groundbreaking accomplishment in Illinois because no transplant chains had originated in this state before. You may have seen it reenacted on an episode of Grey’s Anatomy, but in real life these transplant chains multiply the impact of the donations.
Among those five remarkable people was Tim Joos, a donor family member and true advocate for donation. Tim participated in the kidney chain to honor his daughter Samantha, who was killed in a car accident and helped save the lives of others through tissue donation. Tim shares his heartfelt message in ‘Samantha’s Story’, a short video in which he urges others to become organ and tissue donors.
Kidney chains are so unique because they involve multiple living donations. Each individual involved in the chain has the power to save lives and see the impact their donation will have first hand. In addition to donating a kidney, a living donor could also give part of their liver, lung or pancreas.
The reality of the matter is more acts like the ones made by the “five good Samaritans” are needed because nationwide more than 84,000 people are awaiting a kidney transplant, including more than 3,400 Illinois residents.
To learn more about living donations, talk to a transplant center that offers a living donor program in your area. Living donation isn’t an option for everybody waiting for an organ transplant, so it is still important that you join the Illinois’ Organ/Tissue Donor Registry.
Director of Communications
Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network
View “Samantha’s Story”
Tim's Sam tattoo
Dave, thanks for the encouragement and for spreading the word about how those of us lucky enough to be in excellent health can help those who aren’t so lucky.
As a point of clarification, the recipient’s transplant team in Philly postponed our surgery dates until 5/11, so I’m still anxiously waiting to make my kidney donation. Tim
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