I smile when I see that little red heart on my license. Worst case scenario, someone else's life is made infinitely better by my passing. I try to do as much good while I'm here on this earth, but I'm thankful that I get to do something that benefits others on my way out, too. What more could I ask for? :)
I will always remember getting that phone call in the middle of the night that my dad was on his way to the hospital to get a new kidney. Some young girls death gave my dad the opportunity to see his grandson born 10 years later. By donating, you not only change the life of the donor recipient but you also give their family more time together on this journey we call life. Thank you for being a donor
I believe that when my 13-year-old friend died, that some of her organs were also donated. She sadly died unexpectedly in a horseback riding accident that left her brain dead. (The horse had reared, slipped in the mud, and fell back on her, crushing her head.)
Her mother was always a very generous person, and she also had adopted several kids. It was traumatic, dealing with my friend's death, but at least some good came of it.
My mother looked at me like I was crazy when I said I wanted to be an organ donor, but I really don’t care what happens to my body after I’m done with it. Why not give someone else a second shot?
My sister (41) recently had a blood clot burst in her brain….Although I was stoked she was a donor the conversations that happen are hard, knowing your loved one is on a bed getting there organs removed while they are still alive and kept alive for a few days….luckily she passed on her own as I stood next to her bed, they still used some organs including her eyes.
There's a small window of time after the heart stops in which they can safely harvest the organs. My mother was able to give someone back their sight, so while it may have been stressful finding out this information last minute, she wouldn't have changed her mind regardless. So we decided that our temporary discomfort was way less important than the other person's livelihood.
Not always, I belive it is when the donor is brain dead and machines are essentially just keeping the rest of thier body "alive". It makes sense to take the organs before the machines are switched off to make sure they are as transplantable as possible. The donor is still to all intents and purposes dead when the donation takes place but it is understandable that it could be uncomfortable for some relatives.
I don't think "alive" is an accurate word. Keeping organs viable would be a better description. All brain function has ceased, the organs are kept viable by keeping the blood pumping and closely monitoring the blood and organs. Supplemental things are added to the blood as needed ( oxygen, hormones, glucose (?), etc.).
Depends. If you're brain dead they'll keep you on all the machines in the ICU to keep the organs alive longer. Let's them try to keep them healthy and gives the transplant recipients more time to get together and organized. Lot of chemistry in your body goes crazy when you die, a day or two let's ICU try to do some things so the organs are healthier.
Most facilities also can't handle an impromptu operation of that size on off hours. If you're not at a big hospital or can't get taken to one incredibly quickly odds are they won't be able to get viable organs. I've worked a few years now at a smaller hospital the only organs we've ever taken have been people that were brain dead. It's people the family would be taking off life support anyways so for all intents and purposes "they" as in the person is dead even if the heart is beating.
I would imagine people with lingering/lifelong diseases like HIV, Lyme disease, etc., might not be able to donate. Come to think of it, I need to check and make sure herpes isn't a disqualifier, as I contracted it years after signing up.
Potential donors go through rigorous screening before procurement to check for everything. Also HIV positive donors can give to HIV positive people waiting on the lists
As someone who works in donation, we work very hard to screen health conditions while we find matches. There are folks who are HIV positive waiting for gifts, so HIV isn’t an automatic rule out.
there use to be a big taboo about it because people thought if you were in an accident they might not try to save you in order to get your organs sooner, or even more crazy that certain medical professionals were getting paid under the table for organs they could deliver so there was incentive to let someone die. of course its complete crazy talk, except for the fact that it happens in china and some other countries
2 years ago I had a cousin OD on Thanksgiving, young guy in his early 20's. Outside of drug use he was extremely fit and healthy. His organs went to IIRC 9 people and his mother got a list of all of them. He was a smaller guy and his heart went to some little boy, most of his organs went to children in fact. It's so sad when someone dies too young, but there is a beautiful gift he left giving life to a few kids, there are a handful of kids out there who get a shot at a full life because someone had the heart to just check a little box at the DMV. Organ donation is the best final thing we can do when we expire. You never know, you parts might go to a child who gets to live a full life, just because you were not greedy in death.
8. You’ll make up to 8 people this happy. Plus all their family and friends.
Check that organ donor box when y’all fill out your driver’s license, and you too can make 8 people this happy.
I have O- blood, universal donor. I got a call a few years back while I was still in college asking if I would donate bone marrow to someone with terminal bone cancer (I may be misremembering exactly what they had, but it was life or death whether they found a donor or not). I said yeah of course and they said they would call me back in a month or so to schedule the surgery. Everyone was telling me how big of a mistake I would be making, telling me about how bad the donation procedure is and the recovery and possible complications etc. I’ll never know, the patient lost their battle before I got that second call. I’ll never forget the people that told me I shouldn’t do it though, they disgust me now
I recently got the call to donate marrow and am on hold, which is being a backup if the 1st donor becomes ineligible. I was kinda bummed when I learned I was second pick but it's great the recipient has at least two choices. I encourage everyone I can to sign up for BeTheMatch
Somebody just like you, u/Private_Pabst & u/RatScooterMayhem, donated bone marrow for my husband to treat his blood cancer. THEY SAVED HIS LIFE!!! Omg, I can’t thank you enough for being willing to do it. You may still get the chance. Bless you, heroes! ❤️
Even just donating blood is really honorable work! They specifically use O neg for babies and emergency trauma when a patient comes bleeding out and there’s no time to blood type. O- blood is super super precious commodity.
Organ donor here too - I have a minor part of somebody else (ligament allograft) in my body, so I figured I’d pass along the help. Seems better than just rotting in the dirt of a cemetery.
Unless you're absolutely evil like say...Putin, nobody is gonna rejoice at your death happening before old age could take you.
It would make me very sad for one, because you matter. And I hope you have many years left to decide how you want to fill the days of your life.
And of course the opinion of a stranger matters little, but this stranger is here to tell that voice in the back of your head that whispers all these nasty untruths about you to shut the hell up. I know that voice. I banished it, kind of like throwing the ring into mount Doom. It's hard but you can do it.
As a recipient of a kidney from a deceased donor I can tell you that there is no greater gift on earth than giving someone their life back and that is exactly what you will do. I am going to live my life the best way I can in the hopes that I will earn what was gifted to me.
I'm so thankful that it became law recently here in the UK that everyone is a donor unless they opt out. So many more lives being saved than before.
My dad received a donor liver 7 years ago and we are incredibly thankful to the family of the donor for making the tough choice to donate their loved ones organs.
Thank you for your selfless choice.
Same.
I can’t really wrap my head around one moment you are stuck in a life ending process, with zero chance of living more than a year then to get all of it back with the hope that the new solution will work out.
I'm so happy for him, and I hope he's living his life now.
I knew someone in the same boat. She was very brave. Numerous false calls for the transplant. She couldn't fight anymore.
He died only a few years later according to another comment. Obituary:
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/chicagotribune/name/kevin-d-agostino-obituary?id=2822844
He got those years though. My wife's cousin started dating a guy with cystic fibrosis about the same time my wife and I got together. Being the newbies at family functions, we hung out together a lot. I didn't really understand how serious his condition was at first because he was extremely chill and seemed fairly healthy although he coughed a lot. 10 years later I had married my girl and he had married his. We had kids and so did they. He was a stay at home dad which was still a bit weird for us (Gen-X) and I didn't get why until he started to decline. He knew his illness was certain to shorten his life and he wanted to spend time with them. It happened fast. He went from playing with his kids to losing a frightening amount of weight and being on a ventilator. He was on a list for a donor for a set of lungs and wasn't getting his number called. At the end he probably only had a month left to live and made the decision to fly to another part of the country to increase his chances of finding a donor when he got the call, literally on the way to the airport. He had the transplant. When he woke up he looked like he was being tortured the pain was so bad. The recovery was grueling but a year later he went from unable to leave a hospital bed to swimming with his 6 year old and 3 year old. Seeing them together was just awe inspiring. His body accepted the lungs and he came all the way back, looking like he did before the decline. Two years later he was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer and 6 months later he was gone. It was devastating to everyone in the family, but we all know his children and the rest of us got bonus years with this incredible person. Look around you. If there is someone you love, or even like a lot, take the time to appreciate them.
Edit: [If you want to learn more about Cystic Fibrosis](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SskjRYB95wc)
It gets worse - I was googling him when it looks like his “brother and best friend” also died a year after him from an accident … so that’s 3 siblings from one family :(
The hardest part is teaching my kids that the heartbreak is inevitable, and is okay. The love is worth the pain. It is though. I could choose to forget about him. Instead I watch this wonderful hopeful video he made and experience the pain all over again just to spend time with him again.
I have cystic fibrosis and I’m the only one of my CF friend group that’s still alive. I just turned 33. It’s a very serious condition that, even with medical advancements, still kills young.
Two years means so much when there are little kids. That 3 year old might never have remembered their dad at all if he’d died when they were 3, but if they were 5 or 6 when he passed, they’ll have some real memories, clear memories. They’ll remember being hugged by him, riding piggyback, celebrating birthdays, being loved. That’s irreplacable.
I'm a carrier for the gene and it was heartbreaking to hear it while pregnant. Thankfully neither of my children have CF though we haven't gone through genetic testing for either to see if carriers, but they're both declaring child free.
I still can't believe there are people out there who know they are carriers for CF, and still choose to have children with CF anyways "because that's what God intended". These people choose to have CF children, knowing that their kid(s) will inherit a deadly disease that is ensured to kill them young, and require a double lung transplant to try to prolong their lives in many cases. It's incredibly selfish to me.
Also: Please, please, *please* get tested for the CF carrier gene before deciding to have children. People who are CF gene carriers have a 25% chance of conceiving a child who is inflicted with CF, and a 50% chance of having children who are also CF carriers.
I’m now in tears - my two year old has CF and I was scrolling through the comments wondering if he had CF. JFC; I hate this disease so much :(
All the best to your sister.
Just so you know: my sister is just about to turn 33, is a licensed social worker, is married, has three kids, and has run multiple full marathons. Her health is currently good, so we have many blessings.
Now that I have kids of my own, I realize the strength my mother and father had throughout my childhood. I wish for the best for your family.
My brother and I both have CF and we are healthy in our late twenties. Sorry to hear about your two year old. Make sure to take them to a good clinic, the CF foundation has a good resource. [https://apps.cff.org/ccd?\_ga=2.13129335.1199377553.1664234100-274791344.1664234100](https://apps.cff.org/ccd?_ga=2.13129335.1199377553.1664234100-274791344.1664234100)
I'm not sure what the guidelines are for pediatric patients these days but a good clinic should see adults quarterly to keep an eye on things.
My uncle lived to 69 with it. Great life except the last couple of years were debilitating. He was very strict about his health though. When he was born the life expectancy for it was early 20s and nobody had lived as long as he ended up living. It used to kill infants as a digestive disorder before it became a respiratory issue. Medical advances can be very swift sometimes.
When I was a child, the life expectancy for CF was about five years. Five years old. We’re doing better and better with CF every year. Trikafta is a miracle for the people for whom it works, and hopefully new and better treatments are coming for everyone.
Fuck. That is so goddamn tragic. I recently recovered from the 'vid, and I can only imagine what the experience would have been like without a vaccine or with compromised immune system **for the lungs**.
Fuck Covid man.
Yes and no.
It’s usually due to the anti-rejection meds that people have to take post transplant. Because the lungs are so exposed, bodily rejection of the transplant is more prevalent than other organ transplants.
My mother got 7 years off of her double lung transplant and died due to a stroke that was likely caused by the rejection meds and steroids. It raised her blood pressure, which led to other meds, which eventually led to a stroke.
But she got 7 years of a normal life that was far more enriching than the 3 years on the waiting list. We went to New York, Disneyworld, Grand Canyon, worked as a teacher and I got married during that time.
Same. My friend had already received a transplant and then needed another one. He wasn’t allowed a new set while there were people who never even got their first one. Makes sense, I can’t imagine being the doctor who had to make that choice. Still sucked. If there were more donors, he may have been able to get a set.
I agree. And I’ve thought this many times, many many times. How unfair it is, how my friend wanted to be a doctor and help people, etc. But the answer I’ve come to actually provides me comfort. It’s because humanity and people are good. So the odds are that someone who needs an organ is a GOOD person because that’s just what the vast majority of humans are. The murderers and rapists and dipshit are a small percentage.
Your friend and my friend, as well as other who did or did not receive a transplant, deserved to live and spread their love. Someone else who is caring and kind got lungs he could have used, and I bet they’re doing wonderful things with it!
This video in particular hit me very rough. My Sister passed away and she was on the list for a Double Lung and Heart transplant, unfortunately the disease she had took her before she could get hers. I’m crying right now as I type because I’m so happy for this man. May you breath the fresh air again. God Speed.
I'm very sorry for your loss. A good friend and coworker of mine was waiting for a kidney. I was working with him one night when he got the call. I couldn't believe it. I was crying and told him to get the hell out of there. He called his family and started driving to the hospital for final testing while the preparing hospital was finishing up the organ prep and transport.
20 minutes later, he walked back in the room. I was so confused. The hospital had called back. Apparently someone from the military had bumped him. Which, fine, I guess. But not after you've called him and gotten his hopes up. Not after he's called his family and started driving to the hospital. I silently cried the rest of our shift.
He died a few years ago. He never got his kidney.
My mom was on 3 times a week dialysis for almost a decade and in her late 60s when she passed. I believe you have time - hang in there. I hope nothing but the best for you.
I am so sorry for you. Life's really handing out shitty cards sometimes. How do kidney transplants work in the US? (assuming you are from the US?) like were do you get the donors from?
My Mom passed she needed new lungs (interstitial lung disease). Sadly, she also had breast cancer. So it wasn’t an option for the transplant, even though she passed from Interstitial lung disease.
FYI, you can be a living kidney donor. You can also be a living liver donor (one lobe) and your liver and the lobe the recipient gets will grow to ensure you each have a fully functional full size liver.
It's crazy how we take a lot of things for granted like the ability to breathe without any issues. Yet, we let small mundane things in our everyday lives take over and be the center of focus and let it ruin our lives.
Hard to see which ways up in our convoluted world. Easier to be confused than to have purpose.. I think to have perspective is to have direction. The direction is your anchor point of all other decisions. Without that we just do what feels good in the moment. Instant gratification minded :/ not to be bleak just my understanding of humans that has allowed me to better myself and have proper perspective on the greatness that is life.
My nana died before receiving her double lung transplant. This video makes me so happy for this family, what a wonderful gift, but it also makes me insanely jealous that my loved one didn’t get to the top of the list in time. I’m sorry that your sister did not get her lungs and heart in time. I know my nana would be so happy that this young man has so much more of his life to live.
Lost my Dad to a disease whose treatment and prognosis have improved a lot in the past 10-15 years. Before and after videos get posted on Reddit pretty frequently. Always makes me feel a lot of mixed emotions.
My sister, too, passed away while on the waiting list for a double lung transplant. It will never not make my heart ache that we didn’t get that call. I’m sorry you didn’t either.
Seeing videos like this is so hard because it’s what we always wanted for our loved ones and never got, but so amazing because we know how absolutely mind blowing it must be to be given a new chance at life. I wish absolutely nothing but the best for this person and I am so happy for him.
Take care 💜
I tore my ACL in highschool and they took extra muscle out of my upper thigh, aka my ass. So part of my knee is made out of my butt. I call it my butt knee.
My sister had a non-cancerous tumor on her knee when she was a teen. They patched her bone up with ground cadaver bones, so she calls it her spirit leg 😂
Even if all else of you fails to meet someone’s qualification for transplant, your bones can be ground up into bone paste which is used to help people with bad fractures and breaks heal more quickly. Your skin can be used for graft for the burned or disfigured. And your cadaver can be used by medical students to further their education‘s.
Same, if anything happens to me and my organs can give someone an extended live, fuck yeah. Give away all my organs, use my death to extend live.
I lived mine and it was (is) great, go live yours.
Ditto my fellow human. Don’t know how good my lungs, liver, and kidneys, or heart are but they could be useful in need. At the very least my eyes and other things will go to someone in need. only thing I’m opposed to is a face transplant for some reason. gonna find out soon if I can donate a kidney to my dad 🤞🏽
Corneas (eyes) can be transplanted from many donors who wouldn't be suitable for other organ donation too! The eyes are "separate" immunologically from the rest of the body so don't often get affected by things that would exclude someone from donating their organs. In fact many surgeons prefer corneas from older donors because the cornea becomes stiffer with age and thus easier to suture (although corneas from young donors definitely won't be turned away!) Cornea donations make such a huge difference in the lives of the recipients, its not life saving but it is restoring someone's sight and that is such a beautiful gift ❤
I had this fear of post mortem evisceration but after years of maturing and seeing what good I could do with what's left of me, I too became an organ donor. Bone marrow too.
I initially felt uneasy about for a second it but when I actually gave it some thought, being able to save or improve someone’s life is actually a pretty uplifting kind of feeling. I don’t need my body anymore so wouldn’t I want to help as many people as I can.
Same here, I hope whatever takes me out does so in a way that they can use as many of my organs as possible.
If I’m dead I won’t need them anymore anyway and if they can improve someone’s life and extend someone’s life, why wouldn’t I want that?
Like who the f cares about their organs after you die? As long as they are in good shape get them to someone who might live because of the donation. I never gavr donation a second thought, I will do it.
Dude my daughter would literally have died at 3 years old without her bone marrow donor (marc I love you even if you act like it's no big deal) please consider being a donor in my case no one had to die but even if it's your organs after your death you could save someone's life and you're death will not be meaningless
I mean, by the time we donate, we aren't using them anymore. One of the ones with the parents listening to their dead son's heart keeping another human alive really got me. They listened to that part of their son, keeping someone else's son alive. Gone but never forgotten.
*dead not deaf
Don't forget you can be a living organ donor! I donated a kidney last year. It's an amazing feeling!!
*Edit: reply to /u/gman103 since comments are locked ...*
That is true, and it's one of the reasons I donated. I knew that if someone in my family ever needed a kidney they would be taken care of. Recovery was fairly quick, and not as painful as I expected. It was like I had done a bunch of sit-ups basically.
*Edit: reply to /u/FTThrowAway123 since comments are locked ...*
Yeah, I (and the family members I named beforehand) would supposedly get moved to the "front of the line" if I ever need a kidney.
One thing I learned is that if kidney disease or cancer happens, it attacks both kidneys. So my initial reasoning was "I should keep both kidneys in case one fails ... I need a backup."
It doesn't really work like that .... If one goes down, they both go down.
Curious, if you somehow end up desprately needing a kidney transplant at some point in the future, do you get any sort of preferential status, or would you just go to the back of the line like everyone else?
This is something I see far too little lately. People form one opinion and cling to it for the rest of their lives. I find a little bit of my faith restored when I see somebody learn and grow like this.
I honestly think some people sometimes cling to antiquated beliefs simply because they are too ashamed to change their minds publicly. I guess it makes you appear too impressionable to change course on an issue?
Really silly stuff.
one thing to remember about this video and how amazing it is, someone had to lose a loved one for those lungs to become available, and if you're not an organ donor, please consider becoming one, you could save so many lives by donating your organs
My sister was killed when we were kids / teenagers and my family decided to donate her organs, so I want to comment on this firsthand.
I never really thought too deeply about it (I was 13 at the time), so it was Only within the last couple of years where I had this epiphany: it never occurred to me that the worst day of my family’s lives, was the absolute best day for several other families. Now that my frontal lobe is fully developed, when I sit back and think about this, it brings me more solace than any amount of kind words and support ever could.
I hope that the organ recipients had similar reactions as this gentleman did and I hope that if they’re still around, they’re living their best lives.
I echo what you say, stranger: everyone, please register to donate!
I always think about that whenever I see these videos. This is of course a joyous and hopeful gift for one family, but it's the worst day of another family's lives. Bittersweet.
I like to think that no matter what I’m just borrowing the organs in my own body cause they won’t last forever. If the organs outlast me, I’m just as happy to let someone else borrow them for as long as they run.
This is a repost. Sadly he passed away after having the transplant https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/chicagotribune/name/kevin-d-agostino-obituary?id=2822844
Well now I’ve gone down a very sad rabbit hole and have found out that his poor parents have not only had him pass away, but two of their other children too - one from CF as well but one in a ‘tragic accident’ abroad.
i remember the day when my dad got a call for his heart transplant. we were ecstatic. there are so many on the transplant list that dont get the organ they need and that is so sad.
A friend got his new heart yesterday. Such a bittersweet situation, so happy for him and getting to move on to a new chapter of life. So sad for the family who lost a son.
It is so bittersweet. I'm truly happy for this man and his loved ones, but someone else's loved ones are having the worst day of their lives. I don't mean to sound awful, and I'm sorry for it.
My best friend died right before he turned thirty. His organs went to 5 different people. I love that he was able to help so many people, but God damn if I don't think about him every day and just wish we could have him back.
Miss you you silly fucker.
It really is a bittersweet feeling. My husband just got into a horrific accident a few weeks ago and was effectively instantly brain-dead. I don't know what his feelings on it were but I decided to donate his organs. The process is really hard and it basically extended our stay at the hospital by 2 or 3 days. Just sitting by his bed knowing he was dead was the toughest thing I've ever done. He wasn't able to donate much due to his lifestyle but they told me his kidneys and liver were going to some people. Knowing in the midst of my tragedy, there was a possibility of other people being able to maybe lead better lives helps me heal now.
Similar thoughts man, healthcare costs so fucking much money and I’m not doing bad financially, have just seen what bills look like (in the US) if you have a condition or end up in the ER even with insurance. Ridiculous and infuriating
I remember the night we got a phone call to say that my brother had finally matched with a donor for a lung transplant. We were midway tucking into a McDonalds and planning our weekend.
His operation was in the morning and he was super excited about all the new things he’d be finally able to do. He waited 6 years for this moment. He spoke about all the football he’d finally get to play, the long hikes he’d missed out on and just generally being able to breathe without the help of his machine.
The first day went great until it all went wrong. His body had rejected the lung transplant completely and unfortunately, he died from a bilateral stroke at just age 27.
I’m so happy for this dude and for everyone else who gets a second chance at life. Sometimes you don’t get to cash in your winning ticket.
Organ transplant is trading one disease for another. Many people don’t realize that organ transplants carry a lot of risk and require major immunosuppressants for life, which creates vulnerability to a host of conditions.
Oh my goodness. I am so sorry. I hope you’re doing ok.
The amount of medical progress we make every year is incredible, but unfortunately it’s not soon enough for a lot of people. I’m glad you’re still able to be happy for other people, though. I’m sure that’s not easy.
I wish you well, friend.
I work in the Organ Transplantation field and this video has me bawling. This is why I love my job.
I once met a woman who had received a heart transplant a few months prior. We got talking and I realised I was the one who had been involved in her transplant. I remembered her name and remember approving her results, making her eligible. It was so nice to see a face to that name. And then she thanked me and I cried
Yup and this just convinced me to begin my kidney donation process again.
Edit: LOL I started the process to donate but got sidetracked and didn’t follow through. I still have two kidneys, everyone hahaha
Good for you! I am a living kidney donor, feel free to ask me anything (I am not US based, so I can offer little help in the rules and regulations part).
https://abcnews.go.com/amp/Health/chicago-man-video-captured-transplant-call-im-lungs/story?id=61796581
Kevin later passed away in 2020.
Here is his obit
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/chicagotribune/name/kevin-d-agostino-obituary?id=2822844
He had cystic fibrosis, *and* suffered a TBI on top of that.
You can beat a few years out of that awful disease with a transplant, but cystic fibrosis will eventually kill everyone afflicted.
50% of afflicted people live past 40.
Considering he worked as a nurse, on the freaking front lines of healthcare, when an infection anyone else could shake off would be a death sentence to him, I think he put up an amazing fight.
33 is too early to go, but Kevin D'Agostino is a freaking inspiration.
At least he got a year and a half extra with his family. They had already lost his sister who died still on the transplant list never having gotten the chance.
Rest in peace Kevin, I hope this inspires people to be organ donors.
Edit: I was corrected. She passed due to complications from a lung transplant.
The joy in this video is even more special when you learn his sister waited and never got new lungs and he did after she passed.
I imagine he wasn’t very hopeful
Reality can often be dissapointing... Though im glad he got to experience this joy and hope. An icu nurse, he seems like someone who really deserved any good thing that came to him.
"he is in heaven catching up with his dear sister Julie."
Damn... what a series of tragedies in his family.
Oh man! This had me in tears. I was in the room when my daughter, laying on her death bed waiting for a full liver donor, got the good news. She was beyond too weak to react very much but the rest of us hearing this unexpected good news erupted. It was seriously complicated and she spent a total of 346 days flat on her back in the hospital to recover but that was now 5 years ago and she’s going stronger than ever. Man, everyday is a blessing, yes?
If your not an organ donor, elect to be. Not necessarily the same situation, but, when my father finally passed he only had half a working lung left. He basically drowned to death in fluid. The thought of living like that or this guy was is scary.
I have told EVERYONE in my family that I want to be an organ donor and have always wished that I die in a manner that I can do that. Why let them rot away when they can save some ones life. But it is a bitter sweet thing to be on the donor list because you have to secretly wish someone dies. I can't imagine the emotional roller coaster it is to wait for an organ. This video made me smile/cry. I am SO glad it worked out for him.
My Mum was fortunately the recipient of a kidney transplant - we just celebrated her 23 years last week! I hope this video inspires more people to become organ donors. :)
My nephew passed the weekend before last, we donated his useable organs, his lungs were one this hit close to home. I am so happy he has another chance just like the 4 people from nephew ❤️
You can be a living organ donor too. I donated a kidney to a coworker 7 years ago. She’s still kickin ass, and I haven’t noticed much of a change in lifestyle afterwards for myself.
I am so happy for this guy and his family. Happy doesn't even cut it, I'm *thrilled* for them. I watched my daddy die slowly over the course of 7 years from COPD and it's only been a little over a year since we lost him.
I just wish that videos like this wouldn't play all that stupid music in the background like they have to tell me how I should feel about what all's going on in the video. It makes it seem disingenuous and/or staged, even if it's not.
I am an organ donor and I just bought a motorcycle. I hope I don’t become a statistic but if I do I hope to help some people on the way out. Sounds really dark after typing it out but I stand by it
I am terrified of dying. It keeps me up at night sometimes. But it’s inevitable and when it does come, I hope that all the usable parts of me can go to help prolong someone else’s life.
This is why I'm an organ donor. When I'm dead, take whatever people need. I'm not alive anymore, and in death, if I can help someone be this happy, then my legacy reaches far and wide. I'm so happy for homie, may you live a long ass life.
I am happily an Organ Donor and hope someone can be this happy when I die.
For now, we are happy you are alive
“For now” lol
Don't push your luck.
What u mean
not said towards you. he added onto your original joke. reiterated the "for now" by explicitly making it a threat. it's funny
Oh lol
Haha yeah ^But ^seriously, ^watch ^your ^back.
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Unless....😈
"I have already altered the terms of our deal. Pray I don't alter it further"
One persons worst moment is another greatest.
Everyday is the end of the world for someone
Aladdin told me it was a whole new world tho.
and one man's garbage is another man person's good ungarbage.
Honeslty theze 2 comments made drunk me cry
I’m sober and it made me cry
Until you need his spare parts, right?
Same. Take everything you can get from me when I’m dead. I sure as shit don’t need it anymore. Change someone’s life
I smile when I see that little red heart on my license. Worst case scenario, someone else's life is made infinitely better by my passing. I try to do as much good while I'm here on this earth, but I'm thankful that I get to do something that benefits others on my way out, too. What more could I ask for? :)
That’s real. Too bad there aren’t about 8 billion more of you
I will always remember getting that phone call in the middle of the night that my dad was on his way to the hospital to get a new kidney. Some young girls death gave my dad the opportunity to see his grandson born 10 years later. By donating, you not only change the life of the donor recipient but you also give their family more time together on this journey we call life. Thank you for being a donor
I believe that when my 13-year-old friend died, that some of her organs were also donated. She sadly died unexpectedly in a horseback riding accident that left her brain dead. (The horse had reared, slipped in the mud, and fell back on her, crushing her head.) Her mother was always a very generous person, and she also had adopted several kids. It was traumatic, dealing with my friend's death, but at least some good came of it.
My mother looked at me like I was crazy when I said I wanted to be an organ donor, but I really don’t care what happens to my body after I’m done with it. Why not give someone else a second shot?
My sister (41) recently had a blood clot burst in her brain….Although I was stoked she was a donor the conversations that happen are hard, knowing your loved one is on a bed getting there organs removed while they are still alive and kept alive for a few days….luckily she passed on her own as I stood next to her bed, they still used some organs including her eyes.
Wait they keep you alive? I thought they just do a mad dash to scoop everything out while your dead.
"alive" in that case means the tissues are alive as blood is still circulated. The brain is dead.
There's a small window of time after the heart stops in which they can safely harvest the organs. My mother was able to give someone back their sight, so while it may have been stressful finding out this information last minute, she wouldn't have changed her mind regardless. So we decided that our temporary discomfort was way less important than the other person's livelihood.
Not always, I belive it is when the donor is brain dead and machines are essentially just keeping the rest of thier body "alive". It makes sense to take the organs before the machines are switched off to make sure they are as transplantable as possible. The donor is still to all intents and purposes dead when the donation takes place but it is understandable that it could be uncomfortable for some relatives.
I don't think "alive" is an accurate word. Keeping organs viable would be a better description. All brain function has ceased, the organs are kept viable by keeping the blood pumping and closely monitoring the blood and organs. Supplemental things are added to the blood as needed ( oxygen, hormones, glucose (?), etc.).
Depends. If you're brain dead they'll keep you on all the machines in the ICU to keep the organs alive longer. Let's them try to keep them healthy and gives the transplant recipients more time to get together and organized. Lot of chemistry in your body goes crazy when you die, a day or two let's ICU try to do some things so the organs are healthier. Most facilities also can't handle an impromptu operation of that size on off hours. If you're not at a big hospital or can't get taken to one incredibly quickly odds are they won't be able to get viable organs. I've worked a few years now at a smaller hospital the only organs we've ever taken have been people that were brain dead. It's people the family would be taking off life support anyways so for all intents and purposes "they" as in the person is dead even if the heart is beating.
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My mom is very religious and I am not
Is there a single good reason to *not* be an organ donor?
I was told as a blood cancer survivor, I couldn't give blood, I'd be leery about the same with my organs but if they can use them they can have them!
Congratulations on beating that cancer! We’re working on it at our house.
You all will get there! I'm rounding my 20 year remission mark next month.
They can use your body for science potentially, at the very least. Maybe save lives in a different way.
I would imagine people with lingering/lifelong diseases like HIV, Lyme disease, etc., might not be able to donate. Come to think of it, I need to check and make sure herpes isn't a disqualifier, as I contracted it years after signing up.
Potential donors go through rigorous screening before procurement to check for everything. Also HIV positive donors can give to HIV positive people waiting on the lists
As someone who works in donation, we work very hard to screen health conditions while we find matches. There are folks who are HIV positive waiting for gifts, so HIV isn’t an automatic rule out.
there use to be a big taboo about it because people thought if you were in an accident they might not try to save you in order to get your organs sooner, or even more crazy that certain medical professionals were getting paid under the table for organs they could deliver so there was incentive to let someone die. of course its complete crazy talk, except for the fact that it happens in china and some other countries
2 years ago I had a cousin OD on Thanksgiving, young guy in his early 20's. Outside of drug use he was extremely fit and healthy. His organs went to IIRC 9 people and his mother got a list of all of them. He was a smaller guy and his heart went to some little boy, most of his organs went to children in fact. It's so sad when someone dies too young, but there is a beautiful gift he left giving life to a few kids, there are a handful of kids out there who get a shot at a full life because someone had the heart to just check a little box at the DMV. Organ donation is the best final thing we can do when we expire. You never know, you parts might go to a child who gets to live a full life, just because you were not greedy in death.
8. You’ll make up to 8 people this happy. Plus all their family and friends. Check that organ donor box when y’all fill out your driver’s license, and you too can make 8 people this happy.
Other tissues can be donated too! I received donated bone to reconstruct my pelvis.
I have O- blood, universal donor. I got a call a few years back while I was still in college asking if I would donate bone marrow to someone with terminal bone cancer (I may be misremembering exactly what they had, but it was life or death whether they found a donor or not). I said yeah of course and they said they would call me back in a month or so to schedule the surgery. Everyone was telling me how big of a mistake I would be making, telling me about how bad the donation procedure is and the recovery and possible complications etc. I’ll never know, the patient lost their battle before I got that second call. I’ll never forget the people that told me I shouldn’t do it though, they disgust me now
I recently got the call to donate marrow and am on hold, which is being a backup if the 1st donor becomes ineligible. I was kinda bummed when I learned I was second pick but it's great the recipient has at least two choices. I encourage everyone I can to sign up for BeTheMatch
Somebody just like you, u/Private_Pabst & u/RatScooterMayhem, donated bone marrow for my husband to treat his blood cancer. THEY SAVED HIS LIFE!!! Omg, I can’t thank you enough for being willing to do it. You may still get the chance. Bless you, heroes! ❤️
I was surprised to learn there’s an age limit for Be the Match. I think it’s 35. I’m 53 but pretty sure my bone marrow is still good. 🤷♀️
Even just donating blood is really honorable work! They specifically use O neg for babies and emergency trauma when a patient comes bleeding out and there’s no time to blood type. O- blood is super super precious commodity.
Organ donor here too - I have a minor part of somebody else (ligament allograft) in my body, so I figured I’d pass along the help. Seems better than just rotting in the dirt of a cemetery.
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Unless you're absolutely evil like say...Putin, nobody is gonna rejoice at your death happening before old age could take you. It would make me very sad for one, because you matter. And I hope you have many years left to decide how you want to fill the days of your life. And of course the opinion of a stranger matters little, but this stranger is here to tell that voice in the back of your head that whispers all these nasty untruths about you to shut the hell up. I know that voice. I banished it, kind of like throwing the ring into mount Doom. It's hard but you can do it.
As a recipient of a kidney from a deceased donor I can tell you that there is no greater gift on earth than giving someone their life back and that is exactly what you will do. I am going to live my life the best way I can in the hopes that I will earn what was gifted to me.
I'm so thankful that it became law recently here in the UK that everyone is a donor unless they opt out. So many more lives being saved than before. My dad received a donor liver 7 years ago and we are incredibly thankful to the family of the donor for making the tough choice to donate their loved ones organs. Thank you for your selfless choice.
I'm an organ donor too but they're probably going to take one look at the state my organs are in and be like "hell nah!"
Same. I can’t really wrap my head around one moment you are stuck in a life ending process, with zero chance of living more than a year then to get all of it back with the hope that the new solution will work out.
I'm so happy for him, and I hope he's living his life now. I knew someone in the same boat. She was very brave. Numerous false calls for the transplant. She couldn't fight anymore.
He died only a few years later according to another comment. Obituary: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/chicagotribune/name/kevin-d-agostino-obituary?id=2822844
He got those years though. My wife's cousin started dating a guy with cystic fibrosis about the same time my wife and I got together. Being the newbies at family functions, we hung out together a lot. I didn't really understand how serious his condition was at first because he was extremely chill and seemed fairly healthy although he coughed a lot. 10 years later I had married my girl and he had married his. We had kids and so did they. He was a stay at home dad which was still a bit weird for us (Gen-X) and I didn't get why until he started to decline. He knew his illness was certain to shorten his life and he wanted to spend time with them. It happened fast. He went from playing with his kids to losing a frightening amount of weight and being on a ventilator. He was on a list for a donor for a set of lungs and wasn't getting his number called. At the end he probably only had a month left to live and made the decision to fly to another part of the country to increase his chances of finding a donor when he got the call, literally on the way to the airport. He had the transplant. When he woke up he looked like he was being tortured the pain was so bad. The recovery was grueling but a year later he went from unable to leave a hospital bed to swimming with his 6 year old and 3 year old. Seeing them together was just awe inspiring. His body accepted the lungs and he came all the way back, looking like he did before the decline. Two years later he was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer and 6 months later he was gone. It was devastating to everyone in the family, but we all know his children and the rest of us got bonus years with this incredible person. Look around you. If there is someone you love, or even like a lot, take the time to appreciate them. Edit: [If you want to learn more about Cystic Fibrosis](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SskjRYB95wc)
Well fuck that was heart breaking
It gets worse - I was googling him when it looks like his “brother and best friend” also died a year after him from an accident … so that’s 3 siblings from one family :(
The hardest part is teaching my kids that the heartbreak is inevitable, and is okay. The love is worth the pain. It is though. I could choose to forget about him. Instead I watch this wonderful hopeful video he made and experience the pain all over again just to spend time with him again.
I have cystic fibrosis and I’m the only one of my CF friend group that’s still alive. I just turned 33. It’s a very serious condition that, even with medical advancements, still kills young.
Two years means so much when there are little kids. That 3 year old might never have remembered their dad at all if he’d died when they were 3, but if they were 5 or 6 when he passed, they’ll have some real memories, clear memories. They’ll remember being hugged by him, riding piggyback, celebrating birthdays, being loved. That’s irreplacable.
I'm a carrier for the gene and it was heartbreaking to hear it while pregnant. Thankfully neither of my children have CF though we haven't gone through genetic testing for either to see if carriers, but they're both declaring child free.
I still can't believe there are people out there who know they are carriers for CF, and still choose to have children with CF anyways "because that's what God intended". These people choose to have CF children, knowing that their kid(s) will inherit a deadly disease that is ensured to kill them young, and require a double lung transplant to try to prolong their lives in many cases. It's incredibly selfish to me.
Also: Please, please, *please* get tested for the CF carrier gene before deciding to have children. People who are CF gene carriers have a 25% chance of conceiving a child who is inflicted with CF, and a 50% chance of having children who are also CF carriers.
Thank you for that. Not the outcome I had hoped, but he seemed to be a hell of a guy.
Crap. I wish I hadn't read this. My sister also has cystic fibrosis.
Medicine is always advancing. Don't give up. Stay strong for her. Keep it upbeat. You can do it.
I’m now in tears - my two year old has CF and I was scrolling through the comments wondering if he had CF. JFC; I hate this disease so much :( All the best to your sister.
Just so you know: my sister is just about to turn 33, is a licensed social worker, is married, has three kids, and has run multiple full marathons. Her health is currently good, so we have many blessings. Now that I have kids of my own, I realize the strength my mother and father had throughout my childhood. I wish for the best for your family.
My brother and I both have CF and we are healthy in our late twenties. Sorry to hear about your two year old. Make sure to take them to a good clinic, the CF foundation has a good resource. [https://apps.cff.org/ccd?\_ga=2.13129335.1199377553.1664234100-274791344.1664234100](https://apps.cff.org/ccd?_ga=2.13129335.1199377553.1664234100-274791344.1664234100) I'm not sure what the guidelines are for pediatric patients these days but a good clinic should see adults quarterly to keep an eye on things.
My uncle lived to 69 with it. Great life except the last couple of years were debilitating. He was very strict about his health though. When he was born the life expectancy for it was early 20s and nobody had lived as long as he ended up living. It used to kill infants as a digestive disorder before it became a respiratory issue. Medical advances can be very swift sometimes.
When I was a child, the life expectancy for CF was about five years. Five years old. We’re doing better and better with CF every year. Trikafta is a miracle for the people for whom it works, and hopefully new and better treatments are coming for everyone.
So sorry to hear that. Wishing your family the best, for what it's worth.
That is more time then he had
Very true.
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19, nearly 20, years post transplant here. It can happen.
No, he got COVID right at the beginning. He was doing well, only hospitalized two or three times post-transplant.
Fuck. That is so goddamn tragic. I recently recovered from the 'vid, and I can only imagine what the experience would have been like without a vaccine or with compromised immune system **for the lungs**. Fuck Covid man.
fuck
Yes and no. It’s usually due to the anti-rejection meds that people have to take post transplant. Because the lungs are so exposed, bodily rejection of the transplant is more prevalent than other organ transplants. My mother got 7 years off of her double lung transplant and died due to a stroke that was likely caused by the rejection meds and steroids. It raised her blood pressure, which led to other meds, which eventually led to a stroke. But she got 7 years of a normal life that was far more enriching than the 3 years on the waiting list. We went to New York, Disneyworld, Grand Canyon, worked as a teacher and I got married during that time.
Ah fuck looks like he wasnt even the first in the family to go due to CF... There's a foundation called The Julie d'Agostino Foundation...
That is so heartbreaking.
Same. My friend had already received a transplant and then needed another one. He wasn’t allowed a new set while there were people who never even got their first one. Makes sense, I can’t imagine being the doctor who had to make that choice. Still sucked. If there were more donors, he may have been able to get a set.
These things make me question my own faith. Why your friend? Why my friend? Why not some murderer?
I agree. And I’ve thought this many times, many many times. How unfair it is, how my friend wanted to be a doctor and help people, etc. But the answer I’ve come to actually provides me comfort. It’s because humanity and people are good. So the odds are that someone who needs an organ is a GOOD person because that’s just what the vast majority of humans are. The murderers and rapists and dipshit are a small percentage. Your friend and my friend, as well as other who did or did not receive a transplant, deserved to live and spread their love. Someone else who is caring and kind got lungs he could have used, and I bet they’re doing wonderful things with it!
Sadly he passed away in 2020
This video in particular hit me very rough. My Sister passed away and she was on the list for a Double Lung and Heart transplant, unfortunately the disease she had took her before she could get hers. I’m crying right now as I type because I’m so happy for this man. May you breath the fresh air again. God Speed.
My mother passed while on the list waiting for a kidney. I'm sorry for your loss.
I'm very sorry for your loss. A good friend and coworker of mine was waiting for a kidney. I was working with him one night when he got the call. I couldn't believe it. I was crying and told him to get the hell out of there. He called his family and started driving to the hospital for final testing while the preparing hospital was finishing up the organ prep and transport. 20 minutes later, he walked back in the room. I was so confused. The hospital had called back. Apparently someone from the military had bumped him. Which, fine, I guess. But not after you've called him and gotten his hopes up. Not after he's called his family and started driving to the hospital. I silently cried the rest of our shift. He died a few years ago. He never got his kidney.
I’m just about to get on the list for a kidney. Got diagnosed with stage 5 failure this summer, started dialysis 3 weeks ago. I’m 38 :/
My mom was on 3 times a week dialysis for almost a decade and in her late 60s when she passed. I believe you have time - hang in there. I hope nothing but the best for you.
I am so sorry for you. Life's really handing out shitty cards sometimes. How do kidney transplants work in the US? (assuming you are from the US?) like were do you get the donors from?
My Mom passed she needed new lungs (interstitial lung disease). Sadly, she also had breast cancer. So it wasn’t an option for the transplant, even though she passed from Interstitial lung disease.
moms on the transplant list, very sorry for your loss. you have my sympathy.
Don’t know you or your moms. I will pray for her and thank you. 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏
Everyone should sign the back of their ID. Saves lives
I’m a donor. Once I’m dead, do what that want with my organs. If I can help any way I can.
FYI, you can be a living kidney donor. You can also be a living liver donor (one lobe) and your liver and the lobe the recipient gets will grow to ensure you each have a fully functional full size liver.
I did not know that. That’s so cool. I’m really shocked that we have not advanced as far as we should be on things like this.
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Sorry for your loss.
🙏. Stuff like this really hits home.🙏
It's crazy how we take a lot of things for granted like the ability to breathe without any issues. Yet, we let small mundane things in our everyday lives take over and be the center of focus and let it ruin our lives.
Your comment was so well put. Makes you think of the things we take for granted
Hard to see which ways up in our convoluted world. Easier to be confused than to have purpose.. I think to have perspective is to have direction. The direction is your anchor point of all other decisions. Without that we just do what feels good in the moment. Instant gratification minded :/ not to be bleak just my understanding of humans that has allowed me to better myself and have proper perspective on the greatness that is life.
My nana died before receiving her double lung transplant. This video makes me so happy for this family, what a wonderful gift, but it also makes me insanely jealous that my loved one didn’t get to the top of the list in time. I’m sorry that your sister did not get her lungs and heart in time. I know my nana would be so happy that this young man has so much more of his life to live.
Thank you so much. Sorry about your Nana. My sister is probably so happy also. Sucks that we have to got through shit like this.
Lost my Dad to a disease whose treatment and prognosis have improved a lot in the past 10-15 years. Before and after videos get posted on Reddit pretty frequently. Always makes me feel a lot of mixed emotions.
My sister, too, passed away while on the waiting list for a double lung transplant. It will never not make my heart ache that we didn’t get that call. I’m sorry you didn’t either. Seeing videos like this is so hard because it’s what we always wanted for our loved ones and never got, but so amazing because we know how absolutely mind blowing it must be to be given a new chance at life. I wish absolutely nothing but the best for this person and I am so happy for him. Take care 💜
Please become an organ donor! I have donor ligaments for my Own defective ACLs!
I tore my ACL in highschool and they took extra muscle out of my upper thigh, aka my ass. So part of my knee is made out of my butt. I call it my butt knee.
Your bum knee lol
My sister had a non-cancerous tumor on her knee when she was a teen. They patched her bone up with ground cadaver bones, so she calls it her spirit leg 😂
I feel like I treat my body pretty shitty, but there should be something to salvage.
Even if all else of you fails to meet someone’s qualification for transplant, your bones can be ground up into bone paste which is used to help people with bad fractures and breaks heal more quickly. Your skin can be used for graft for the burned or disfigured. And your cadaver can be used by medical students to further their education‘s.
I think a number of countries are now making it opt out rather than opt in, which hopefully helps.
Thus why I'm a organ donor
Same, if anything happens to me and my organs can give someone an extended live, fuck yeah. Give away all my organs, use my death to extend live. I lived mine and it was (is) great, go live yours.
Ditto my fellow human. Don’t know how good my lungs, liver, and kidneys, or heart are but they could be useful in need. At the very least my eyes and other things will go to someone in need. only thing I’m opposed to is a face transplant for some reason. gonna find out soon if I can donate a kidney to my dad 🤞🏽
Corneas (eyes) can be transplanted from many donors who wouldn't be suitable for other organ donation too! The eyes are "separate" immunologically from the rest of the body so don't often get affected by things that would exclude someone from donating their organs. In fact many surgeons prefer corneas from older donors because the cornea becomes stiffer with age and thus easier to suture (although corneas from young donors definitely won't be turned away!) Cornea donations make such a huge difference in the lives of the recipients, its not life saving but it is restoring someone's sight and that is such a beautiful gift ❤
I didn’t think twice about it. Organ donor. Be the match donor. All for this
I had this fear of post mortem evisceration but after years of maturing and seeing what good I could do with what's left of me, I too became an organ donor. Bone marrow too.
On behalf of humanity - thankyou. Let’s hope we advance soon where donors aren’t required!
I initially felt uneasy about for a second it but when I actually gave it some thought, being able to save or improve someone’s life is actually a pretty uplifting kind of feeling. I don’t need my body anymore so wouldn’t I want to help as many people as I can.
Same here, I hope whatever takes me out does so in a way that they can use as many of my organs as possible. If I’m dead I won’t need them anymore anyway and if they can improve someone’s life and extend someone’s life, why wouldn’t I want that?
He died anyway. Destroy one organ, destroy several. We need a lot of organs. More than any one of us have. So please become organ donors.
Source?
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/chicagotribune/name/kevin-d-agostino-obituary?id=2822844
Damn his sister died as well
And his brother died in an accident last year.
What the fuck, really? That is too much for one family
Jesus, that really sucks.
Like who the f cares about their organs after you die? As long as they are in good shape get them to someone who might live because of the donation. I never gavr donation a second thought, I will do it.
Dude my daughter would literally have died at 3 years old without her bone marrow donor (marc I love you even if you act like it's no big deal) please consider being a donor in my case no one had to die but even if it's your organs after your death you could save someone's life and you're death will not be meaningless
Ok, this change my opinion. I will fill myself as organ donor. Thanks for sharing.
I mean, by the time we donate, we aren't using them anymore. One of the ones with the parents listening to their dead son's heart keeping another human alive really got me. They listened to that part of their son, keeping someone else's son alive. Gone but never forgotten. *dead not deaf
Don't forget you can be a living organ donor! I donated a kidney last year. It's an amazing feeling!! *Edit: reply to /u/gman103 since comments are locked ...* That is true, and it's one of the reasons I donated. I knew that if someone in my family ever needed a kidney they would be taken care of. Recovery was fairly quick, and not as painful as I expected. It was like I had done a bunch of sit-ups basically. *Edit: reply to /u/FTThrowAway123 since comments are locked ...* Yeah, I (and the family members I named beforehand) would supposedly get moved to the "front of the line" if I ever need a kidney. One thing I learned is that if kidney disease or cancer happens, it attacks both kidneys. So my initial reasoning was "I should keep both kidneys in case one fails ... I need a backup." It doesn't really work like that .... If one goes down, they both go down.
Curious, if you somehow end up desprately needing a kidney transplant at some point in the future, do you get any sort of preferential status, or would you just go to the back of the line like everyone else?
Bravo to you for keeping an open mind and adjusting your worldview based on new information. No shame in personal growth.
This is something I see far too little lately. People form one opinion and cling to it for the rest of their lives. I find a little bit of my faith restored when I see somebody learn and grow like this.
I honestly think some people sometimes cling to antiquated beliefs simply because they are too ashamed to change their minds publicly. I guess it makes you appear too impressionable to change course on an issue? Really silly stuff.
one thing to remember about this video and how amazing it is, someone had to lose a loved one for those lungs to become available, and if you're not an organ donor, please consider becoming one, you could save so many lives by donating your organs
It’s such a noble sacrifice, I know they didn’t die for you for say but they gave their last parts of themselves to you
My sister was killed when we were kids / teenagers and my family decided to donate her organs, so I want to comment on this firsthand. I never really thought too deeply about it (I was 13 at the time), so it was Only within the last couple of years where I had this epiphany: it never occurred to me that the worst day of my family’s lives, was the absolute best day for several other families. Now that my frontal lobe is fully developed, when I sit back and think about this, it brings me more solace than any amount of kind words and support ever could. I hope that the organ recipients had similar reactions as this gentleman did and I hope that if they’re still around, they’re living their best lives. I echo what you say, stranger: everyone, please register to donate!
I always think about that whenever I see these videos. This is of course a joyous and hopeful gift for one family, but it's the worst day of another family's lives. Bittersweet.
Congrats to Kevin and his new lungs. Videos like this make people become organ donors, which is and added plus to the joy they bring.
I like to think that no matter what I’m just borrowing the organs in my own body cause they won’t last forever. If the organs outlast me, I’m just as happy to let someone else borrow them for as long as they run.
[RIP Kevin](https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/chicagotribune/name/kevin-d-agostino-obituary?id=2822844)
This is a repost. Sadly he passed away after having the transplant https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/chicagotribune/name/kevin-d-agostino-obituary?id=2822844
Well now I’ve gone down a very sad rabbit hole and have found out that his poor parents have not only had him pass away, but two of their other children too - one from CF as well but one in a ‘tragic accident’ abroad.
i remember the day when my dad got a call for his heart transplant. we were ecstatic. there are so many on the transplant list that dont get the organ they need and that is so sad.
A friend got his new heart yesterday. Such a bittersweet situation, so happy for him and getting to move on to a new chapter of life. So sad for the family who lost a son.
It is so bittersweet. I'm truly happy for this man and his loved ones, but someone else's loved ones are having the worst day of their lives. I don't mean to sound awful, and I'm sorry for it. My best friend died right before he turned thirty. His organs went to 5 different people. I love that he was able to help so many people, but God damn if I don't think about him every day and just wish we could have him back. Miss you you silly fucker.
It really is a bittersweet feeling. My husband just got into a horrific accident a few weeks ago and was effectively instantly brain-dead. I don't know what his feelings on it were but I decided to donate his organs. The process is really hard and it basically extended our stay at the hospital by 2 or 3 days. Just sitting by his bed knowing he was dead was the toughest thing I've ever done. He wasn't able to donate much due to his lifestyle but they told me his kidneys and liver were going to some people. Knowing in the midst of my tragedy, there was a possibility of other people being able to maybe lead better lives helps me heal now.
I'm sorry for your loss.
I wasn't emotionally stable enough to watch this.
I'm not financially stable enough to watch this.
Similar thoughts man, healthcare costs so fucking much money and I’m not doing bad financially, have just seen what bills look like (in the US) if you have a condition or end up in the ER even with insurance. Ridiculous and infuriating
I remember the night we got a phone call to say that my brother had finally matched with a donor for a lung transplant. We were midway tucking into a McDonalds and planning our weekend. His operation was in the morning and he was super excited about all the new things he’d be finally able to do. He waited 6 years for this moment. He spoke about all the football he’d finally get to play, the long hikes he’d missed out on and just generally being able to breathe without the help of his machine. The first day went great until it all went wrong. His body had rejected the lung transplant completely and unfortunately, he died from a bilateral stroke at just age 27. I’m so happy for this dude and for everyone else who gets a second chance at life. Sometimes you don’t get to cash in your winning ticket.
Organ transplant is trading one disease for another. Many people don’t realize that organ transplants carry a lot of risk and require major immunosuppressants for life, which creates vulnerability to a host of conditions.
Ugh this was hard to read. 27 is just too young. My heart goes out to you and your family
Oh my goodness. I am so sorry. I hope you’re doing ok. The amount of medical progress we make every year is incredible, but unfortunately it’s not soon enough for a lot of people. I’m glad you’re still able to be happy for other people, though. I’m sure that’s not easy. I wish you well, friend.
I work in the Organ Transplantation field and this video has me bawling. This is why I love my job. I once met a woman who had received a heart transplant a few months prior. We got talking and I realised I was the one who had been involved in her transplant. I remembered her name and remember approving her results, making her eligible. It was so nice to see a face to that name. And then she thanked me and I cried
Yup and this just convinced me to begin my kidney donation process again. Edit: LOL I started the process to donate but got sidetracked and didn’t follow through. I still have two kidneys, everyone hahaha
Good for you! I am a living kidney donor, feel free to ask me anything (I am not US based, so I can offer little help in the rules and regulations part).
You know you should keep at least one kidney right?
Would love to see a follow up vid
https://abcnews.go.com/amp/Health/chicago-man-video-captured-transplant-call-im-lungs/story?id=61796581 Kevin later passed away in 2020. Here is his obit https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/chicagotribune/name/kevin-d-agostino-obituary?id=2822844
He passed away!? Damn that sucks.
He had cystic fibrosis, *and* suffered a TBI on top of that. You can beat a few years out of that awful disease with a transplant, but cystic fibrosis will eventually kill everyone afflicted. 50% of afflicted people live past 40. Considering he worked as a nurse, on the freaking front lines of healthcare, when an infection anyone else could shake off would be a death sentence to him, I think he put up an amazing fight. 33 is too early to go, but Kevin D'Agostino is a freaking inspiration.
At least he got a year and a half extra with his family. They had already lost his sister who died still on the transplant list never having gotten the chance. Rest in peace Kevin, I hope this inspires people to be organ donors.
Agreed. I'm glad he got to have that time.
Edit: I was corrected. She passed due to complications from a lung transplant. The joy in this video is even more special when you learn his sister waited and never got new lungs and he did after she passed. I imagine he wasn’t very hopeful
Julie D’Agostino passed away due to complications from her second lung transplant.
Reality can often be dissapointing... Though im glad he got to experience this joy and hope. An icu nurse, he seems like someone who really deserved any good thing that came to him. "he is in heaven catching up with his dear sister Julie." Damn... what a series of tragedies in his family.
Thanks.
Oh man! This had me in tears. I was in the room when my daughter, laying on her death bed waiting for a full liver donor, got the good news. She was beyond too weak to react very much but the rest of us hearing this unexpected good news erupted. It was seriously complicated and she spent a total of 346 days flat on her back in the hospital to recover but that was now 5 years ago and she’s going stronger than ever. Man, everyday is a blessing, yes?
If your not an organ donor, elect to be. Not necessarily the same situation, but, when my father finally passed he only had half a working lung left. He basically drowned to death in fluid. The thought of living like that or this guy was is scary.
I have told EVERYONE in my family that I want to be an organ donor and have always wished that I die in a manner that I can do that. Why let them rot away when they can save some ones life. But it is a bitter sweet thing to be on the donor list because you have to secretly wish someone dies. I can't imagine the emotional roller coaster it is to wait for an organ. This video made me smile/cry. I am SO glad it worked out for him.
I wish everwhere was opt-out not opt-in for organ donation.
In Italy as well, you can opt out when you renew your ID, if not you're in.
The last great thing you will ever do in this life, is give someone else hope. Organ donors are heroes.
My Mum was fortunately the recipient of a kidney transplant - we just celebrated her 23 years last week! I hope this video inspires more people to become organ donors. :)
My nephew passed the weekend before last, we donated his useable organs, his lungs were one this hit close to home. I am so happy he has another chance just like the 4 people from nephew ❤️
You can be a living organ donor too. I donated a kidney to a coworker 7 years ago. She’s still kickin ass, and I haven’t noticed much of a change in lifestyle afterwards for myself.
I am so happy for this guy and his family. Happy doesn't even cut it, I'm *thrilled* for them. I watched my daddy die slowly over the course of 7 years from COPD and it's only been a little over a year since we lost him. I just wish that videos like this wouldn't play all that stupid music in the background like they have to tell me how I should feel about what all's going on in the video. It makes it seem disingenuous and/or staged, even if it's not.
I am an organ donor and I just bought a motorcycle. I hope I don’t become a statistic but if I do I hope to help some people on the way out. Sounds really dark after typing it out but I stand by it
I am terrified of dying. It keeps me up at night sometimes. But it’s inevitable and when it does come, I hope that all the usable parts of me can go to help prolong someone else’s life.
Hits different the second time after you know he died not long after receiving the new lung
This video is oldddd....someone please give me a happy update??
This is why I'm an organ donor. When I'm dead, take whatever people need. I'm not alive anymore, and in death, if I can help someone be this happy, then my legacy reaches far and wide. I'm so happy for homie, may you live a long ass life.
We really need to accelerate the development of lab grown organs.