Last year, over 200 people in Wisconsin donated organs and 340 received a life-saving transplant. Families of those touched by the process gathered Friday at the Governor’s residence in Madison to honor them.
Drew Stapleton of La Crosse received a kidney and a pancreas. He says every day he prays for the families of donors, and does what he can to honor their memories.
Dan Lang of Milwaukee lost his wife Lori suddenly from a massive head bleed two years ago. He’s never regretted the decision to donate her organs, which helped save the lives of three people. He says there’s “no doubt in his mind” that she’d be happy about being able to do that for someone else.
Stapleton says the decision to donate is an affirmation of life and a precious gift.
Nationally, over 108,000 people are on the waiting list for an organ transplant. About 2.6 million Wisconsinites have added the organ dot to their driver’s license indicating they’re an organ donor. However, they’re also being encouraged to now add their name to an online donor registry launched earlier this year.