On behalf of Texas Organ Sharing Alliance, donor families and patients on the transplant waiting list, thank you for sharing the story of the Ellis family in “This is my purpose.”
We truly believe that sharing the stories will help encourage and inspire others to sign up on the Donate Life Texas registry and offer hope to the over 10,000 people in Texas awaiting a lifesaving organ transplant.
We are currently in a national campaign called Donate Life ECHO (Every Community Has Opportunity) and while the main purpose of this effort is to encourage people from multicultural communities to donate, we also know it’s important to highlight the power individual groups have to save lives through organ donation.
Many people are not aware that young children have the capacity to be heroes to other babies in need of an organ transplant, and likewise others may assume a patient with different health needs may not be a candidate for donation.
The truth is, we all have the ability to save and heal others through organ and tissue donation.
Just like Clarissa Ellis said, as an organ donor, young Joaquin was able to be a miracle for another baby and their family. It’s about helping others, finding the light in a difficult situation and offering the same help you would want for your own family.
We hope everyone reading their story considers their status as an organ donor. To sign up, visit DonateLifeTexas.org. Thank you again.
Edwina Garza, McAllen
Editor’s Note: The story being referred to is published in the summer 2018 edition of Valley Women Inspire magazine, which is created and distributed throughout Cameron County by the Valley Morning Star and Brownsville Herald. They are available free on newsstands all around as well as at the VMS office.
