AS NATIONAL DONATE LIFE MONTH COMES TO AN END. WE WANT TO SHARE THE STAGGERING NUMBERS
OF PEOPLE IN NEED OF AN ORGAN
TRANSPLANT. EVERY 10 MINUTES
ANOTHER PERSON IS ADDED TO THE
NATIONAL TRANSPLANT WAITING
LIST EVERY 10 MINUTES. 82 1%
OF PATIENTS WAITING ARE IN
NEED SPECIFICALLY OF A KIDNEY.
>> ACCORDING TO DONATE LIFE,
AMERICA NEWS 4 JAX REPORTER
AMANDA DEVOE IS JOINING US AND
YOU HAVE A PERSONAL CONNECTION
TO A WOMAN WHO SAYS HER AND
SAVED HER LIFE THROUGH A
KIDNEY DONATION. RIGHT TO
NICE. TERESA. HEY, WHAT ARE MY
COUSINS AND
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: FOR MANY
YEARS, OUR FAMILY HAS KNOWN
THE STORY OF DENISE IS JOURNEY
WITH THE AUTO IMMUNE DISEASE
LUPUS. WHEN THE DISEASE CAUSED
HER KIDNEYS TO FAIL THERESA
KNEW IMMEDIATELY THAT SHE
WOULD BE THE ONE TO DONATE.
>> DENISE DEANE HAS STRUGGLED
WITH LUPUS FOR MORE THAN 2
DECADES. IT’S IMMUNE DISEASE
AND IT CAN AFFECT DIFFERENT
PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT WAYS SO
YOUR BODY CAN ATTACK DIFFERENT
ORGANS ARE DIFFERENT PARTS OF
YOUR BODY AND MY CASE. IT WAS
MY KIDNEYS. THAT ULTIMATELY
BECAME DAMAGED DAMAGED TO THE
POINT. WHERE DID THESE WENT
INTO KIDNEY FAILURE AND WAS
PUT ON DIALYSIS IN 2019? SHE
WAS PLACED ON THE TRANSPLANT
LIST SHORTLY AFTER THAT, WHICH
SHE SAYS WAS NOT ONLY TIME
CONSUMING LESS STRESSFUL.
YOU’RE EITHER GOING TO A
CENTER SEVERAL DAYS A WEEK AND
SITTING ON A MACHINE FOR HOURS
AT A TIME OR YOU’RE DOING IT
AT HOME FOR HOURS AND HOURS
OVERNIGHT AFTER MORE THAN A
YEAR ON DIALYSIS, DENISE STILL
HELD OUT HOPE THAT SOMEONE
WOULD BE A MATCH AND SHE
DIDN’T HAVE TO LOOK FAR TO
FIND A DONOR. I JUST FELT
STRONGLY THAT I WOULD BE A
MATCH FOR HER. HER ON THERESA
HAYWOOD SAYS DONATING A KIDNEY
TO HER KNEES WAS A NO-BRAINER.
THAT A QUESTION BECAUSE THE OF
THE BOND THAT WE HAVE ALL THE
NICE WAS ONE OF MY BIRTHDAY.
>> AND WE’VE ALWAYS HAD A GOOD
LIKE SINCE SHE WAS BORN. SO I
JUST HAD THE FAITH AND HAD THE
FEELING THAT.
>> I WAS GOING TO BE THE ONE
HAS A STRONG WOMAN OF FAITH.
THERESA GOT A TATTOO IN HONOR
OF DENISE. THE MOMENT SHE WAS
PLACED ON THE TRANSPLANT LIST.
FAITH HOPE AND LOVE AND I HAVE
FAITH THAT I WOULD BE A MATCH
FOR HER. HOPE THAT EVERYTHING
WILL GO WELL DURING THE
SURGERIES AND LOVE FOR THE
MISS. LOVE THAT A HALF MONEYS
AFTER NUMEROUS TESTS AND A
CLOSE CALL THAT THERESA
WOULDN’T BE A MATCH. THE
TRANSPLANT BECAME A REALITY IN
APRIL 2021, THE LAST DAY OF
NATIONAL DONATE LIFE MONTH.
BUT PEOPLE WERE TELLING ME.
>>LAUREN VERNO: RIGHT AWAY
AFTER THE SURGERY AFTER THE
TRANSPLANT THAT MY SKIN LOOKED
BETTER. THAT I, YOU KNOW, HAVE
MORE ENERGY. I WAS ABLE TO
JUST. HAVE MORE LIFE, JUST
SORT OF EXUDING FROM ME JUST
SHY OF THE YEAR AFTER THE
TRANSPLANT, DENISE STILL SAYS
SHE’S ETERNALLY GRATEFUL.
>>LAUREN VERNO: I FELT LOVED
BEING. IT’S NOT SOMETHING THAT
PEOPLE HAVE TO DO. AND TO KNOW
THAT SOMEBODY WOULD GO THROUGH
A MAJOR SURGERY. I’M SORRY.
AND THERE ARE NO WORDS TO
DESCRIBE IT BECAUSE THAT’S
LITERALLY SAVING A LIFE. THEY
HOPE IT INSPIRES OTHERS TO
DONATE TO THIS. A LOT OF
PEOPLE, A LOT OF GREAT PEOPLE
OUT THERE ON THE WAITING LIST.
>> THAT CAN BENEFIT THAT CAN
LIVE BECAUSE OF THEIR
DONATION. AND I WOULD
ENCOURAGE ANYONE THAT CAN TO
DONATE.
>>LAUREN VERNO: AND MY COUSINS
BOTH WANT TO STRESS THAT
DONORS CAN STILL LIVE A NORMAL
LIFE AFTER GIVING IN OREGON.
AND THERE’S DEFINITELY A NEED
FOR LIVING DONORS WHEN IT
COMES TO THESE TYPES OF
SITUATIONS. I’M JUST AMAZED
THAT ONE.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: THAT YOU’RE
OUT WAS A MATCH.
>>LAUREN VERNO: AND THE 2
THEY’RE DOING SO THAT IS IS
SERIOUS SURGERY, PARTICULARLY
FOR THE PERSON WHO IS IS IS
MAKING THE DONATION. IT
DEFINITELY IS. I MEAN, THEY
HAD SOME RECOVERY TIME, BUT I
MEAN, THEY ARE DOING WELL. IT
WILL BE A YEAR TOMORROW. AND
I’M SURE THAT THEY HAVE SOME
PLANS TO CELEBRATE. AND I KNOW
THAT THEY’RE JUST VERY
EXCITED. SHE SAYS SHE HAS A
NEW LEASE ON LIFE AND ALSO FUN
FACT, DENISE IS FATHER USED TO
WORK HERE AT CHANNEL 4
KILLINGS IN THE AIR AND WE NO
IDEA RIGHT INTO YOU JUST TOLD.
RIGHT. SO IT IS A SMALL AND
HE’S ALWAYS BEEN A SUPPORTIVE
DAD AS WELL. HE HAS THE
BIGGEST HEART IN THE WHOLE
WORLD. TOMMY. HE’S A SWEET
ASSIST. AND THE OTHER THING
IS, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A LOT
OF MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT IF I
SIGN UP TO BE A DONOR.
>> YOU KNOW THAT CERTAIN
THINGS WILL HAPPEN AND FROM
THE HOSPITAL THAT, YOU KNOW,
CHECK THOSE OUT BECAUSE THE
U.S. FURTHER FROM THE MANY
MISS ABOUT IT? NOT NOT TRUE,
RIGHT? SOME PEOPLE MAY THINK
WHAT IF I NEED A KIDNEY ONE
DAY, I’M GIVEN MINE AWAY TO
SOMEONE ELSE, BUT THEY REALLY
DO STRESS. MY COUSINS REALLY
STRESS THAT IT IS IMPORTANT
JUST STEP OUT ON FAITH AND
JUST TRUST.
>>LAUREN VERNO: THAT YOU WILL
STILL BE OK, YOU ONLY NEED ONE
KIDNEY ANYONE. EXACTLY. AND
IT’S SO EASY TO SIGN UP. ALL
SEE, JUST DO WHEN YOU RENEW
YOUR DRIVER’S LICENSE OR
WHATEVER. IT’S SUCH AN
IMPORTANT THAT THE THINK ABOUT
THE IMPACT THAT YOU’RE MAKING
ON THE LIVES OF MULTIPLE
PEOPLE OFTEN ABSENT, GOD
FORBID SOMETHING SHOULD HAPPEN