Living Kidney Donation

Hello and welcome to the Get to Life podcast where we have conversations about organ tissue and eye donation and transplantation. You can always find us at thegiftedlife.org. I'm Maurice Diel. I'm Kirsten Lyons.

I'm Sarah Blakemore. Coming up on the Gifted Life today. We're going to find out how one woman went the distance to get the title of best daughter in law in the world. And we're going to talk about authentic pride and why you should be proud of yourself.

Lots going on here on the Gifted Life. Here we go. Here on the Gifted Life podcast we are so excited to share this story with you which was unfolding kind of in our own backyard here in Louisiana with López, Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency and this story kind of fell into our lap and we thought, man, more people need to hear this story. Right, Kirsten?

Yeah, Lori, we were so lucky actually Kathleen Jebia emailed us to share a story, her story and to share the important role that her daughter-in-law has played in her life, Ms. Sage Crunk, Jebia. Which got attention? Right up front.

Yeah. So Kathleen, welcome to the show. Hi. Nice to meet all of you.

So Kathleen, I was so excited when your email came through. One of the things that jumped out at me right away is in your story you shared that you basically found out you had kidney disease and needed a transplant. It sounds like almost in the same visit. Yes, just about.

Yes. So I'm telling her anything. Yeah, we're like, what is happening? No.

No. Well, I'll tell you what occurred. About mid-year of 2018, I had my regular visit with the Enchaunus, the annual doctor's appointment and she said, you know, you kidney functions are about 20%. I want you to see the nephrologist.

So I said, okay. So I wasn't able to see him until November of 2018. And he says, when I walk in and he introduces himself, and let me first say, I work for LSU Health Sciences Center and these physicians are all with LSU Health Sciences Center. He looks at me and he says, you're dying and I need to figure out what's going on with you.

And I looked at him like he had five heads. I was like, no, I'm not. I feel fine. I, you know, there's nothing going on.

So when after he tells me that and I'm thinking he's just wrong, somebody made an error. He informs me that the blood work that was done before and at him, the kidney function was now at 10%. And he says, you're, you're pale. And I said, no, really?

Because I've been fair all my life. He goes, no, you're pale. And I said, okay. So he then says, are you tired?

And I was like, well, yeah, I'm tired. And now let me let you know, he's also my husband's physician and he knows my husband well. And I said, I'm over 60. I work full time and I'm taking care of my husband who was at that point maybe about four or five years into anybody's dementia.

So I was like, yes, I'm tired, you know, because there's a lot going on. And he goes, no, that's not my entire. He said, I'm scheduling you for biopsy. I said, okay.

So we did a biopsy in early December of 2018. And then I got a call at the end of December and he said, your kidney function is now at seven percent. And we are going to have you scheduled January 2nd to get peritoneal dialysis, have a peritoneal catheter put in. Now, even before that point with that first visit, he said, you have to go on dialysis.

You have to go on steroids. I said, no, no, no, no, I can't do dialysis because I'm carrying to my husband. He said, well, we have to do something. And my intern is the one who suggested chukia for the peritoneal.

So January 2nd, I had the catheter put in place and at the end of January started dialysis. And did dialysis until August when we were able to go ahead with the transplant stage finally, you know, got through all of those testing. Okay. So you've started dialysis in January of 2019.

And did they, when you started dialysis, did they tell you that, talked to you about the possibility of transplantation or how did that conversation start? Yes, the physician that was with the clinic, the dialysis clinic, had said that, you know, do you have a chance of having a transplant, how can you transplant done? Do you want to be put on the list and such? And there was a wait period, but not very long when I did get listed.

And he had asked if I had known anybody that would donate. And at that time, I had just informed the people at work what was going on. Two coworkers came forward at that time and volunteered. And then a third worker came on and volunteered.

The first two didn't, one of the two didn't even get past the initial match. But the first one that was tested happened to be a young lady that was working for me. And she was adamant that she was going to be the one to donate. Well, she passed everything until they got to the CAT scan.

And on her CAT scan, they found she had too many arteries to her kidney. Unlike the rest of us who have only two. So it would put her at risk and the kidney at risk so she could not donate. So then we had family members that also had volunteered and Sage was one of those.

And she was the third person to go through the testing process. And she passed all the way through. No instances that came up on everything matched beautifully. And it went well.

The transplant took place the August 12th of this year. Wow, wow. So in your letter to us, you did share that Sage lives in San Diego. Yes, yes.

They live in San Diego. Yes. We could bring you in now. Hi.

Hello. What did you have to do? What was the testing process like for you? So what happened was I remember we were so previously lived.

It was when we were still out here in San Diego and we were home visiting in New Orleans for most of been Christmas. And Ms. Kathleen had to come home and said, yeah, what's going on at the doctor? Because the same thing, it was all a shock.

We were like, I don't know what you're talking about. And she came home and said, my doctor said I either have to go on dialysis or get a kidney transplant. And I said, oh. And we all kind of like took it in.

I said, cool, I'll get tested. Right? Well, just go get tested and see who's the match. You don't think it would occur.

So immediately. So I'm like, do you work? Do you have kids? Like, how were you just like, this is what's going on?

Yeah, yeah. Yeah. I do. I'm a special ed teacher and I have two small children.

They're now six and eight. But it wasn't a question. It was she said, I need a kidney transplant. Cool.

But he was a match. It was going to do it. It wasn't. I don't even I did.

It didn't even occur to me to think about it as nature surgery. It didn't occur to me to think, oh, this could affect my health in any way. That wasn't that I don't know. It was just it was easy decision for me.

OK, my mother-in-law needs a kidney, getting a transplant with, you know, and he has her life so much more and being on dialysis access, especially my father-in-law and her care for him. It's no brainer. Yeah. Right.

Well, it will save her life, you know, not just in hand, but life saving. Well, and did you have any thoughts when you were, you know, offering to get tested? Well, you know, I'm not a blood relative. So I'm probably not a match.

Were you surprised that you were a better match than your wife in Atlanta since you're not a blood relative? The funny thing is, is that it didn't even cross my mind. Like, I didn't know what went into it. My cousin's wife, her nephew, needed a heart transplant quite a few years ago.

And so she had posted a lot about donation. And so it was just kind of one of those things where I said, oh, cool, I should have posted a lot about, you know, being a match go in and, you know, see if you could ever be an organ donor, whatever. And I was like, oh, I should go do that. And I would sign up on the be the match, but it'd be on my phone.

And it wouldn't work. And I would have sent it out to go through. And I just never managed to completely submit all my information. Or they needed a lot of info.

And I was like, I don't have time to do this without the need. And then this happened. And there was a need. But like Ms.

Kathleen shared, her coworkers stepped up. And they're in Louisiana. So they're right there. And we're like, whiffer.

So why wouldn't you know, great. OK, we'll go for it. And if it's one of them, then that's wonderful. But when we found out that the second coworker wasn't a match, or had made it all the way to the end, and then wasn't, I was like, oh, OK, well, I need to go get tested.

I need to go get tested. So I made the phone call to the coordinator at Tulane. And my wife did as well. So we both, because I'm not a blood relative.

So we're like, OK, let's see. So we both made the phone call. I went forward with the initial match, partially because of the kidney disease, and that it was so sudden. And not knowing if it's hereditary or not hereditary, it may be for a child not to do it, or a blood relative.

So I started with the match process. And then life kind of, apparently they're not allowed to call you and be like, hey, you still need to do x, y, and z. I didn't know that. I'm really waiting for people to remind me of things.

Because they can't seem like they're off. I'd like, they can't do it. And so like you said, life's busy. I do have two small children, and I teach.

And so those kind of things were in the way. And I was like, oh, wait, is there something else that I need to do? So I emailed the coordinator and got all the paperwork again. And I managed to go out.

So I had to fly out to New Orleans to do the full day of testing. They could not do the testing with me here in San Diego. So I took a quick trip out to New Orleans. And interestingly enough, it was the weekend before everything shut down for COVID.

Oh, goodness. Oh, my gosh. But it was, we were at the hospital on that Monday. And then on Tuesday, before I flew home, Louisiana had their first positive COVID case.

And so everything got put on hold. With the shutdown, there's just a couple more things that I needed to do. I passed all of those tests. I had just a couple more.

And so then that's why it ended up getting pushed out a little bit further. I managed to get through the rest of the school. We were giving this to start. Thank you.

And then we finished our testing in July. Everything came back. They took me to team and the team said, yeah, you get to go. You get to do this.

And I said, when is your next available appointment? Because I'm a teacher and I need to be ready for the beginning of the school year. OK. Yes.

Wow. So, Kathleen, walk us through it. So you had two coworkers who end up not being a match. And then your daughter-in-law steps forward.

It gets all the way through the testing. Walk us through getting, having three people step forward for you and go through them maybe. But no, and now you have a match and it's your daughter-in-law. Walk us through where you were at mentally through this process.

Oh, mentally, I was at just a basket case, actually. But no one would have known that because I keep everything contained. First before I go to that point, when I did the biopsy in December, the end result of that was it's a rare kidney disease. And at that time, there was only 150 cases known.

So that took the mental ability to grasp everything that's going on when you're not feeling poorly. Because I never felt ill. So then when Sage volunteered, I was, first off, I was taken about because I never expected Sage to do something like this. Not that she, I didn't think she was a person to do it.

It's just that they're in San Diego. I'm the in-law. And it's like, what are the chances of her matching? And then my thought process went to, they have two small daughters.

I don't want something to happen to her because they have the girls to raise. So I did question quite a few times to my daughter, are you sure this is what y'all want to do? And she's OK with doing this because I really felt so strongly for it nothing to go wrong that she wouldn't be here for her children. And that took probably the heaviest toll on me is that the, and I discussed this also with my nephrologist with the dialysis clinic.

I did not want somebody to have to go through surgery, major surgery just for me. Yeah, I was during that time. I was OK with the idea that I would receive an organ from a deceased donor. But from a living donor really weighed on me because I just really did not want to have somebody risk themselves for me.

You know, I thought that especially with the 10 and the two daughters, you know, they were young and they need to be here, you know, they need to have their mother for a very long time. So that was a difficult time for me to just go ahead and accept that this was such a wonderful gift and not to look at it in the way that I was looking at it that she was putting herself at risk, that she truly was showing the depth of her love and generosity. And I would not, it would not be right for me to take that away from her. I love the love in this family.

And Sage, I'm going to go back to you. On the day you became the best daughter-in-law in the world. You've been there. So I'm here, I have young children work.

Tell us about your life, the donation, time for recovery, how you are now. So you went through with this, you follow through, what a gift, but what impact that have on you as a wife, mom, employee. So like I mentioned, I told them, look, I need to start the school year at the end of August. We knew we were starting the school year online, so that gave me a little more freedom.

And so we had the donation done in Louisiana. I flew out there, and then my wife came with me so that she could care for all of us. I was only in the hospital for one day. And out the next day, in home resting, I'm in-laws.

And we stayed for a week. So I did not have to care for my children for a week. They were here in San Diego with my mom, which made a world of difference. Because I was tired, you know, like you would be after major surgery.

Right, thank you. And I wouldn't have been able to really care for them. I mean, there are six and eight that can somewhat care for themselves, but the concept needing me or something, I could just rest and not worry about them. I was up and moving around.

And by the time I flew home a week after the transplant, I was feeling pretty good. I kind of crazy, there's a living donor Facebook page, and I met four women, or three other women, who were also donating. One was donating to her uncle, one was donating to her husband, and one was a non-directed donor. And we all were different places, and just happened to be donating on the same day.

So we call it each other our donor name. Aw, that's cool. And so I had their support, and we would message each other, how are you feeling today? You know, are you tired of what your energy level did you get?

To sleep last night, have you found any tricks that work? For sleeping comfortably in your bed? So I had to take support there with them. But it was mostly once the incisions were healing up, and I also teach, I'm a fitness instructor.

So I couldn't teach, which other sites were a while. And now I've been getting back into it. So I really just had to take two months off from doing my fitness instruction. And I actually started back teaching two weeks after my donation.

But like I said, it was online. So I took a powerhouse. Is it this is like a good point for Jazza to have a feeling I mean, if you're an instructor, you can be in the end of the hospital in a day. Yeah.

Good job. Exactly. Yeah, being fit does help. Yeah, I was going to ask Kathleen, how are you after your transplant?

I'm actually doing quite well. The only complaint I had, and I really hate to back up to the point of the complaint, are the side effects from the medicine. But other than that, everything really went so well. The surgeon has been just totally blown away that we have not had any issues, either one of us.

And it's just now where the medicines are starting to have a little bit more aggravation with the side effects that come with them. So I once I'm praying that as they decrease some of this medicine, that those side effects would go right. And so the most part, it really has gone well. I had started walking a mile a day so that I could try to get stamina back.

And I do everything in the home. So I have not been limited once I got over the actual surgical process. That was, it took a little while longer because the incision was much larger than I had expected it to be. So it was just the muscles and all.

And in fact, they did. They removed the catheter at the same time, so that was another surgical area. They repaired our hernia that was caused from the, when they put the catheter in. So it was three processes that they did when they did my transplant.

So the abdominal muscles were not happy. So you're going to have to work up the job. So you're going to have to exercise now. So that way you sit before going in.

And make it a little bit like Sage did. So it really was not a bad process. Once you get past that surgical stuff with the abdominal muscles, that's uncomfortable. But everything really did go so well and shot.

I hadn't had any issues with it at all. I just, what I can tell you though, say to kidney, it's not small. That was a surprise as well. And one of the things that's all the surgeons, I wasn't expected to feel it internally and externally.

Those jazz guys get me, man. So Sage, we had just done a podcast about living donation and those kinds of things. And so we were talking about social media. People may post that they're looking for someone who could help or signs on a fence or signs on a car.

So advice to those who may be hearing this saying, I was thinking about it, but I haven't taken that job. What advice would you get? It sounds like your side was pretty smooth and easy from what you're telling us. But tell us your advice.

Yeah. Fortunately, I think being in shape to definitely help recovery. And I was healthy. And so that was the other bonus to getting all the assessments and all the testing done is that they took my vials and vials of blood and how to do the CT scan and all those kinds of things.

And it came out, yeah, you're healthy because you can't be a living donor unless you're healthy. They won't do the surgery if it's going to put you at risk. Now with all surgeries, there is the risk that comes in with that. But if you see somebody sign and it just speaks to you, reach out to them because a lot of times people are on the list to receive an organ for many, many years.

And the quality of life just can change so much. And you know that you say that, right? Like, oh, you guys mentioned that you saved a life. I don't even see it as that.

I had to. I only need one half of one really to be healthy. Functioning adult. Look, go ahead.

Take it out. I don't notice that it's on. I don't feel that it's gone. I did have some trouble.

Not sleeping, but the way that I could lay in bed, but I just put those around me and I'm super comfortable. Things that you can manage easily. Yeah. You know, and my wife stepped up.

My mom came over and helped take care of the girls. They weren't little. So I didn't have to worry about trying to pick them up or do anything like that. They were a little bit older.

So those kind of things, you know, there is some risk because it's surgery, but the recovery was super easy in and out in a day. Like Miss Kathleen said, walking also helped. And just building back up. Yeah, I've been tired of those kind of things, but you really don't notice that I had it.

I have a couple extra scars on my stomach that I didn't have before. And other than that, I wouldn't even know that I donated a couple months back. Wow. And so who can I ask you guys?

I wanted to add to Sage's story. She had learned if somebody else who needed a kidney and she said, well, you know, if I had another one, how would you do it? She was ready to jump in again. I'm thinking she may need therapy now.

It was an easier process than expected. And, you know, like I said, they do all of the testing. So just saying that you want to just see if you were a match that step one of eight. So even just taking that step, you don't ever have to say, even if we got all the way to the end and I was imagining our surgery schedules as the donor at any point, if I felt uncomfortable or decided I didn't want to go through with it, you simply let them know that you changed your mind and they stop everything.

You always, you never have to feel like I'm stuck doing this or, you know, I feel like I'm in an opera position. I was never made to feel like it was something that was owed or that I had gotten it so far that I had to do it. So even, like I said, just even seeing if you're the match first, just taking that first step, that is somewhere to go and then ask questions. So Kathleen and Sage, it sounded like you guys were close already.

And what? I believe so. Yeah. And so we've gone through all of this, this journey.

So what is the relationship like now? I can't stand her. Exactly. We were suspicious.

Not all mother and mother was. You should see this goshy. You should see this goshy made me get. Yeah.

She's my angel. She's just, she's my angel. There isn't any other way to put it. She has definitely extended my lifespan because without the transplant, you know, I was informed that I may have seven years on dialysis and that might be all the body could handle because the kidneys just were not doing what they should be doing.

So she has been a gift from God. You often wonder why certain people come into your life, you know, because as we know, going through life, you have people coming in and out all the time. And you just never really know why some people have passed through. And, you know, it came to, you know, the big bolt of lightning to me that this is exactly why Sage is in my life.

She was going to be the one to save me. So she is definitely my angel. She has given me a gift of life. And you can't ever say anything negative about someone who is willing to make such a sacrifice for another person.

I'd also like to add that Dr. Paramesh's team is, you know, is absolutely outstanding. They are a group of people who are truly loving, caring, as well as exceptional at what they do. So our experience, I believe, has been so good because of them.

They're just a positive group. Just very caring individuals. And that goes across the board. It's the surgeon, the resident medical staff, the social workers, the nurses, the different coordinators because you have a bunch of different coordinators.

It's hard to keep them all in mind. You know, who to? Yeah. And the team, I think, also made it much more comfortable for Sage and I in the process easier.

I hate to use the word pleasant for surgical procedures, but I don't know of another word that I could share with you that would help to explain that it wasn't a terrible experience. It was somewhat pleasant because of how well they treated us and how well they did their job. Wow. Nice.

I would say I praise we'll have to be sure to pass that on. And Sage, just final thoughts from you. Obviously, kind words from your mother-in-law, but she also wrote to us, Sage will be my angel, my hero forever. What a great lesson for her girls, extremely generous, selfless, loving.

It's hard for me to take all that in because I don't feel like I did anything out of the ordinary. My mother-in-law, she's my kid's grandma. Like they, you know, they're not. They love her.

She loved them. I want her to be around for them. So it was, it was, no winner. It was not a question that I was going to do it.

So when she goes and got praying, it's very hard to take in because I wanted just to be her mom. Cool. No, not a few for longer. Big up.

Well, yeah, y'all need to know as well. Sage has a natural gift of giving. She worked with the Peace Corps for a while as well. So that tells you the kind of individual she is to, you know, to do Peace Corps work.

And then now in her life to step forward and provide a life-giving work into someone. It just gives you a better picture of the person she is. Yeah. Well, I don't have to say Sage.

I have three aunts that are special ed teachers. So just your profession. I know that you have to have a really big heart. Yes.

Thank you very much. Yes, she does. Great story guys. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for being honest with us here and walking us through the process in your journey. And Kathleen, I'm glad that you wrote to us. Thank you for the story. You're welcome.

I didn't expect this. I can tell you. I think the next time I heard from y'all it would be a picture of Sage. No.

When you mentioned podcast, I was like, what? Thank you. Thank y'all. And I hope it does stimulate some people to just even if they don't want to donate at this time, at least they get it noted on their license that they are a donor.

So that they can donate at that time if they have some second thoughts or afraid of doing it as a living donor. Just go ahead and save someone else's life. If you're a physically able to, you know, it is such a gift. And it's one that you can never repay.

How do you take someone is giving you the gift of life? You know, it's like, how do I pay God? You know, it doesn't work that way. You just pray and be thankful that you have wonderful people in your life.

I think that's the best thing. The best advice and thank you for encouraging others to consider by registering as a donor. And that's why we started this podcast so that we can share, we can learn, we can be comfortable with these topics. But if we did inspire you to register as an organ tissue and I donor, you can do that now, register me.

That'll work. We are taking a moment for mental health here on the Get to Life Podcast. What are we going to be talking about today, Sarah? So today we're going to be talking about authentic pride.

Ooh, number one. What is it? So I can't be the only one. That's felt proud of myself, but been really hesitant to voice it or to tell people how proud I am.

Right? Right? I'm not the only one. I think that it really hit home for me, because my personally, if somebody says they're proud of me or says I'm doing a good job, I like to downplay it a lot.

Yes. So then I started to think, well, am I doing that internally? If I've accomplished something that I'm proud of, am I down playing it internally to myself? And how harmful is that?

So I found out that yes, I actually do do that. Don't you think that's a little cultural that we're taught? It's bragging. Or another bad thing?

Well, I think too, in our culture in America, we're very driven and motivated for financial success or career success. And there's always somewhere up to go. You've not really peaked. So I think for us, it's hard to sit back and appreciate what we have accomplished.

And because we're always expected what's next. But in our culture, we ask a lot. So what's next? What are you going for next?

What are you doing that for instead of just enjoying that you did something? So essentially, that's what authentic pride is. It's being proud of yourself for something that you actually accomplished and just sitting with it. So we have a friend in common, sweet Nyla of Lopez Family Services.

And one afternoon, it's very clear and I keep her playing it. And so she'll give you a compliment or something. I'm like, oh, I just, it was on sale or something like that. I was like, OK, so whenever somebody tells you that, you say, thank you.

You just say, thank you. You accept it and you're great. I was like, OK, I have to learn that, right? Right.

And I've definitely had to learn that for myself. And once I started to just say, thank you or yes, that was difficult. I'm glad I got through it. It opens up a conversation.

You're not shutting someone down. So don't shut yourself down. When you accomplish something, when you know what your capabilities are, be OK with it. Be proud of yourself.

And it's OK to feel that authentic sense of accomplishment because we live in a hard enough world. Let's not be so hard on ourselves, right? Don't do your light for others. So when you are OK voicing your own pride in yourself, it opens up a conversation and it makes other people feel more comfortable also sharing their accomplishments.

And that's what it's all about, right? When you work so hard, it's something you accomplish something like you should be proud of yourself. And you should allow others to be proud too. I guess I just have those safe people that I know like she's genuinely going to be happy for me.

So I am totally telling her or my husband, you know, like, yes, you know, you're going to get that feedback that you want. Yeah. So are you genuinely happy for yourself though when you accomplish something every day? Good.

Working on it. I'm working on it. Thank you. Thank you.

Yes. And I think that's what this is all about. You know, if we are proud of other people, why can't we be proud of ourselves? So give yourself the same courtesy that you give to your loved ones for yourself when you accomplish something.

Kirsten, great job jumping on the podcast last minute. That's right. You're awesome. Thank you.

But it's hard, right? Like it's kind of awkward. Like, yeah, it's not my job. Of course.

It is. But I mean, you know, change only happens one person at a time. So if you take that step to be proud of yourself in authentic way, then other people will also feel comfortable to do the same. Authentic pride.

Thank you. I like it. Good job, Sarah. Yeah, thanks.

Maybe you have a topic you want Sarah to cover. Email us info at thegiftedlife.org. In our question and answer segments today, how do I find a living donor if no one in my family is able? Kirsten?

Lord, that's a great question. And actually, we talked about some of the ways that you can share your story on our last episode with the National Guinea Foundation. That's right. That's a 152.

And they gave some great tips about how you can share it with your church, with maybe some social groups you're involved in. And you can even use social media. But the most important part is sharing your story so people know that you do need a donor. Yeah, that's a very good question.

If you have any questions for us, go ahead and give us a call at 5046483477. In every episode, we honor a hero. Today's hero is Jerry Prine. And we learn about Jerry from his family.

Jerry Prine was one of a kind. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, and brother. He was a friend to everyone he met and never forgot a name or how he met you. Dubbed PJP, paramedic Jerry Prine, years ago, just stuck.

He was always there to help those who needed it, whether it was a much needed shoulder and a hug, a good cup of coffee or an ear to let you vent, scream or let out a good cry. He was the love of my life. He pulled me through bad times and was there to help celebrate the great ones. We shared and did so many things during our 26 years together and had plans for so many more.

Jerry was a true patriot. He loved serving his country and never let a flag go by without saluting. Jerry loved his job as a paramedic with a cadien. He looked forward to being the one to help those in need.

Even in death, Jerry wanted to help others. As an organ donor, he was able to help others. Jerry was known at work for his numerous quotes that folks called Jerryisms. Many were quotes from famous people.

Movies are just his life rules. Some include, don't practice until you get right. Practice until you can't get it wrong. Backbone beats wishbone every time.

And finally a quote from George S. Patton. It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather, we should thank God that such men lived.

And you can learn more about Jerry on our heroes page, lopa.org. So now let's pause and say thank you to Jerry for the gift of life. This is the gift of life podcast and that was episode 153. Yes, thank you to Sage and Kathleen for coming on and sharing how to win the best daughter in law award.

All right, cool story. Oh my gosh. And for sharing what it was like to go through the living donation process and to receive a kidney from a living donor. Yeah, that was a neat story.

I'm so glad that they volunteered to share so we could all learn here on the gift of life. And hopefully we inspired you to register as an organ tissue eye donor. You can do that anytime. Just for me dot org and visit our website the gift of life dot org where you can listen to any of our episodes.

You can also listen on Apple, Google, Spotify, iHeartRadio or wherever you like to listen to your podcasts. And if you do listen on Apple, please give us a five star rating and subscribe so that others can find us on social. You can like our page. Facebook is the gift of life podcast.

You can also follow us Twitter and Instagram at gifted life pod. Thanks for listening. Thanks for teaming with us. Thanks for wanting to learn more about organ tissue and eye donation.

Now we ask that you go out and do something you would normally do to help us make life happen. Abigodone. This is a production of Lopa by the Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency. The gift of life is hosted by Lori Steele, Joey Boudreau and Sarah Blakemore.

Our executive producer is Kirsten Heynx. Producer is Shalom Caraway. Intern is Rebecca Rannam and we are recorded, engineered and mixed in our Covington, Louisiana studio by Troy Perez.