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Dr. Amelia Wilson (above) spoke to the Cadiz Rotary Club last Tuesday about Organ Donation Month and her experiences with getting a liver transplant after being diagnosed with a rare liver disease roughly seven years ago.
“I’ve been given a second chance, and so I love speaking out,” said Wilson. “I feel blessed, I don’t take a single day for granted.”
At age 19, She was diagnosed with a rare chronic liver disease known as PSC (Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis), although it generally affects males over the age of 30. She said it was hard to diagnose her because she didn’t have any of the symptoms.
Brenda Southwick, Community Education Director for Trigg County Schools, said her brother died after waiting 17 and a half months – almost a year and a half – for a new liver after being diagnosed.
April is Organ Donor Awareness Month, and last week Wilson spoke to the Cadiz Rotary Club about getting the word out about what the importance of being an organ donor.
“There are so many organs that go to the grave … that could give life to people,” said Southwick.
Both Southwick and Wilson have experiences with waiting on a liver, but the goal of Organ Donor Awareness Month is to shed light on the importance of donating any organ.
For the rest of this story, see this week's issue of The Cadiz Record or subscribe to our e-Edition by calling 270-522-6605.
