Making a
difference,
saving a life:
How organ donation is not as diffi cult
By Marcy Shortuse
Photos submitted by
Jennifer Stanton
as you may think
Giving a gift can a tricky process, unless you
know the person who will receive it very
well; there’s always a question as to whether
it will truly be appreciated. Some gifts are considered
rare and valuable at fi rst but interest wanes, others
are well used and loved for many years. If you don’t
believe in the “perfect” gift, you might want to consider
this one – the gift of life.
On Tuesday, Dec. 17 of last year Jennifer Stanton
of South Gulf Cove was a very excited woman.
She was just hours away from a drive up to Tampa,
where she was to have her kidney removed for
donation.
Jennifer got involved in the organ donation process
in a convoluted way. It was a show she saw on
television that sparked her curiosity, but it was years
before she
could formulate
a plan to
donate.
“Years ago
I saw a show
about organ
donation and I
thought it was
cool,” she said.
“My husband at
that time was
in the Army,
so I didn’t get
a chance to
stay around
anywhere long
enough to
get involved
with an organ
donation program. Then, more recently, my aunt
mentioned something about her friend needing a
kidney. We had settled down in one place and were
in a fi nancial position to do it.”
Jennifer doesn’t know who will get her kidney, but
she is allowed to write a note to the recipient. If they
chose to respond, that is their option.
The moon and stars defi nitely aligned for Jennifer
to follow through with her wish to give someone
such a huge gift. Her boss, Doug Curtis, owns Michael
Douglass Plumbing in Englewood, and will be
paying her salary during the time she has to be at
home recuperating. Years ago he received a kidney,
and it saved his life.
“He’s obviously very supportive of me doing this,”
she said. “I’m very lucky that everything lined up just
right. He knew who his donor was, so he has been
able to talk to me about what it was like for the
person who donated the kidney, and for him as the
recipient.”
Jennifer with a pillow she was
given in honor of her experience.