Marion forum puts a face on organ donation

Lots of people call their babies miricles, but Amanda Zeller might have a greater claim to the word than most.

Before her son Mason was even born, he had a laundry list of medical issues. Tests indicated that a medical condition was causing fluid to build up in Mason's heart and experts decided he'd need a transplant as soon as possible.

He stayed in the hospital almost all of his first six months before the family finally got word that a donor heart had been found. The operation was successful and a few years later, Mason is doing well.

Zeller and seven other Iowans whose lives have been touched by organ donation spoke at the Marion Public Library on Saturday. The event was co-hosted by the Metro Library Network and the Iowa Donor Network.

Zeller said being able to talk with other donation advocates is thereputic for her.

“It's good to let the public know how important organ donation is and to let them know how much it affects the other families that receive the organs,” she said.

Officials from the Iowa Donor Network say just marking the organ donor box when you get a new driver's license isn't always enough. People who want their organs donated after they die should enroll in the Iowa Donor Registry to ensure that medical professionals will know their intentions. Advocates also said potential donors should make their status clear to family members as well.

More than 500 Iowans are currently waiting for organs, experts estimate. John Wright - who received a kidney and a pancreas in 2006 - now runs an organization called Triathlons for Transplants. He hopes talking with people in settings like Saturday's event will spur organ donation.

“If I can tell my story and connect with them, I think that will help a lot,” Wright said.