Bill Enjoys His "New Life"

In the spring of 2003, I needed a liver transplant so badly that I was almost to the point that I could not function.  I was lethargic, and couldn't remember half the time where I was or why I was there.  I was put on the liver transplant list in July 2003 and received my new liver on September 7, 2003.  I am so grateful to the donor and family for my "new life".  I am so thankful that this donor and his family were willing to give someone a chance to live.  It has been over 2 years now and I have done everything I did before, plus more.  I hunt, fish, and travel extensively.  I feel the best I have in ten years, thanks to someone being thoughtful and considerate.

Please take the time to think about becoming a donor.  You could save countless lives at one time.  It could be you, next, that will need an organ.  We never know what's going to happen to us.  I never, in a million years, thought that I would need a liver transplant.  That only happens to other people.  Remember, let all your family members know your wishes, because ultimately they will be the ones making the final decision.

Kaytlin Lives Today Thanks To The Kindness Of A Stranger

Kaytlin was born July 6, 2001 at Palmetto Richland Hospital in Columbia, South Carolina--10 weeks premature and she spent four weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit. In March 2002 Kaytlin got sick and was treated for allergies for several months until her mother, Wanda noticed her eyes were yellow.

After a lot of tests, the doctors determined that Kaytlin had a choledochal cyst which blocked bile from passing through her body. As a result of the bile not leaving her body, the bile backed up into her liver, causing her to experience excessive itching.

She was hospitalized several times since July 2002 and was in desperate need of a new liver. A miracle happened on Friday, February 7, 2003.

Kaytlin received a blessing from God - her new liver! Transplant costs and other medical expenses are tremendous for Kaytlin's family as well as most. She will have to take anti-rejection medication for the rest of her life and it has been estimated that the cost of her medicines could easily average $12,000 per year for the rest of her life. Please consider giving generously to the Donate Life South Carolina so that others may receive much needed assistance while going through the transplantation process.

Shirita's Giving Sprit Lives On

Shirita LaToy Peay was a vibrant 17-year-old who had a bright future ahead of her. All her life, she was committed to helping others and was actively involved in her community. Shirita participated in a number of pageants, church activities, sports teams, and community service activities from the time she was a young girl to the very end of her short life. Shirita excelled in academics just as much as she did in athletics and community service. She received the President’s Education Award for Outstanding Academic achievement for two years straight in 1998 and 1999, the Lieutenant Governor’s Award of Expository Writing in 1998, and countless other awards and citations from state and nationwide organizations. You didn’t have to know Shirita to be touched by her warmth and compassion.

On top of her academic, athletic and community achievements, Shirita was also a hard working employee who, despite having a hectic schedule, always managed to take the time to bring joy to someone else’s day. Once, when Shirita was working at Wendy’s, a customer made a t-shirt for her after her smiling face cheered him up when he was feeling down. On October 15, 2002, Shirita passed away – leaving behind her parents, fiancée, aunt and the many other loved ones for whom Shirita was an inspiration. Because Shirita put her heart into everything she did, it’s only fitting that her heart is the gift she left behind. As a heart donor, Shirita continues to touch as many lives as she did here on earth. Shirita will never realize her dream of working with The Department of Social Services to help protect children and the elderly from abuse. And she will never marry the man she loved and raise a family with him. But her giving spirit remains as her “Gift of Life” will enable someone else to live on and realize their dreams. To honor her memory, Shirita’s family encourages everyone to live as unselfishly as she did by saying “yes” to organ and tissue donation.