My journey with transplant started when I was a medical student; I met a young lady who had cystic fibrosis and underwent a lung transplant. She was special, full of energy — full of life. It impacted me that a 16-year-old kid should not have to be living through this. Instead of preparing for prom or going to movies with her friends, she was having difficulty breathing, she was dying, and that experience changed my life.
On the night of a transplant, I am both happy and sad; I know the story of sadness on the donor end of the spectrum, and I know the story of pure happiness on the recipient end. The powerful truth about organ donation is that it saves lives.
– Dr. Don Hayes
