Still I understand this isn't something everyone is going to run out and do. We are busy, we have families, jobs, responsibilities that we think may not allow time for this kind of thing. We don't like being sick, we don't like hospitals and we certainly don't like pain. I am not delusional (about this anyway)- I don't think that just by writing this blog and tweeting a few tweets I'm going to convince anyone to pick up the phone and be a donor. But I would like to plant the seed and make people for aware of kidney donation, blood donation-heck-even just being nicer to other people when its easier to be grumpy. It all adds up-you never know when something you've done, combined with other influences on a person, can lead to something extraordinary. We all have that in us I think.
I think back to that article I read in the newspaper when I was a kid about the family of the little boy who died in an accident and how they opted to donate his organs to save other kids and adults. Their choice to donate and their decision to share their story had an impact, years later on my choice to donate Leftie. They weren't the only reason but they were a catalyst. I would be humbled if I could have the same impact on someone out there.
About a week after surgery I was approached by my cousin who asked if I would be willing to write a guest blog or contribution on my experience to the MindYourMind website. The organization is committed to providing mental health resources to help teens and emerging adults in times of crisis. They also provide a platform for their audience to share ideas, inspire and lend support to one another. Mindyourmind encourages community participation.They believe that interaction leads to involvement. Involvement leads to learning. Learning effects change. I think they might be on to something. I was honoured to asked to participate in their site and I contributed the following post about kidney donation, framed from a volunteer perspective.
Who knows if anything will ever come of it but at the very least I'd like to hope I planted some kind of idea that someday might grow into something special. You never know when you might be a catalyst for someone else to make a difference.
