How To Save A Life

As I type up this blog my cousin is dying. He doesn't have much time left because there is a bunch of crap going on with his liver. That is obviously not the technical term for it but it would make no difference to me if someone really explained what was going down because that won't change the facts.

Another one of my cousins, his brother, has quit drinking alcohol and has been preparing to give Jess a part of his liver in order to save his life. It's really an incredible thing Jay Michael is doing, changing his life to save the life of his brother. Watching what he eats and everything he does. ("This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." John 15:12-13) The transplant was suppose to go down early July but Jess got really sick and his white blood cells couldn't handle the transplant so they postponed it. Things have really taken a turn for the worst and it looks like just part of Jay Michael's liver wont be enough. There is one way Jess can survive, and that is to receive an entire liver from an organ donor.

I don't like this situation. Not only because my family is being hurt, but because this happens every day. People die. Sometimes people die quickly and there is nothing anyone can do about it. Sometimes people get sick and die slowly, and there is something to be said about that. I wonder if every person became an organ donor how many lives would be saved. I know people are going to die, so why not try and save other people's lives after you are done with yours?

There are tons of myths that go along with becoming an organ donor, for example: if you are an organ donor the doctors wont try as hard to save your life because they can use your body to help tons of people. False. Or how about you can't have an open casket because the doctors are going to destroy your  body. Also not true. (doctors) (open casket)

Becoming an organ donor is so easy. The process is different state by state but this website is very helpful http://organdonor.gov/donor/index.htm you should check it out.

Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." God continues to be good. I know that if Jess passes away tomorrow that God remains the same. That God is good and that in the end, this is good. I have been an organ donor since my 18th birthday, but this has truly opened my eyes to how important it really is. Do you want to change the world? If you already love Jesus and know you are going to spend forever with Him, why not give someone a second chance to get to know Him?

Be an organ donor, save a life.


Update
"For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38
Jess passed away on July 21st, 2010 around 4:30 am.