Connor Rabinowitz's heart failed when he was 17, but his new life was just beginning. . .Connor was strong enough to leave the hospital in March 2005 with [a] mechanical heart thump-thump-thumping. He had been home for four days when the call came: We have your new heart.
A young man had died and he was an organ donor. . .
Connor's new heart had belonged to Kellen Roberts, a 22-year-old from Seattle. Kellen died while visiting a friend in Sioux Falls, S.D. He was at a party when an altercation broke out, and as Kellen ran, he collided with a 20-year-old who was chasing him. Kellen fell and hit his head on the pavement and died in a hospital two days later on March 7, 2005. . .Kellen gave more than his heart. His lungs, kidneys, liver, bone and intestinal tissue were also used for transplants. In all, he helped save six lives.
But in the sidebar story, you find the tragedy of lost opportunities.
A 2005 University of Minnesota study showed that 97 percent of Minnesotans support organ donation, yet statistics from the state Department of Public Safety show that only 43 percent of Minnesotans have 'donor' marked on their driver's license.If you don't think it is a big deal, think again.
There are more than 90,000 people in the United States waiting for a organ transplant, including more than 2,200 in Minnesota. Each day 100 names are added to the national waiting list, and 17 people die because there are not enough organs.
Come on you 57%. Next time, check the box. You are never too old.
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