SCHOOLIS BACK IN SESSION, and heart transplant recipient Emmalyn Rowan is ecstatic to be a first grader!
Baby Emmalyn was in a battle with congenital heart disease. She endured countless surgeries and hospital stays, and the only hope for her survival was a heart transplant. After waiting for 303 days, two-yearold Emmalyn received a life-saving heart transplant on April 22, 2021. Now, Emmalyn is a happy, healthy first grader who loves to play, sing, and dance.
“We had dreamed of the days Emmalyn would go to school ever since she was born. Watching it become a reality, after one point questioning if we would ever get that chance, is indescribable,” Emmalyn’s mother, Nicole, said.
Emmalyn’s family is grateful that organ donation has allowed her the opportunity to be a normal kid. “The numerous memories, adventures, laughs, hugs, and normal childhood things we’ve been able to do and make are all because of one child’s family that said ‘yes’ to organ donation during the darkest time of their lives. There was a time where we didn’t know if we would have the chance to do any of the things we’ve done over the past three years since her transplant, let alone if she would survive. But here she is, thriving and loving life,” Nicole said.
Emmalyn’s story is one of many shared during Life Connection of Ohio’s high school education program. The program is designed to teach students the facts about organ donation so they are armed with the information they need to make a donation decision on their driver’s license.
Kevin Fultz, the Community Education Coordinator at Life Connection of Ohio’s Toledo Regional Office, is thrilled to be back in the classroom. “I am excited about working for Life Connection of Ohio because of my family’s personal connection to the organization. After losing my dad in 2016 and seeing the lives he saved and those he helped through organ donation, the message and the meaning of the organization became much more than words to me,” Kevin said. “I am eager to continue to educate people on the topic.”
In addition to sharing his personal connection to donation, Kevin enjoys clearing up misconceptions and answering questions. The top five questions that frequently come up in the classroom are:
1. Will doctors try to save my life if I am a registered donor?
Yes. Every effort will be made to save someone’s life, regardless of their choice to donate. The medical staff dedicated to saving lives at hospitals is separate from those who coordinate donation. It is only after all life-saving efforts have been exhausted that donation becomes an option.
2. Can I still have a viewing if I donate?
Yes. Organ recovery surgery is a very careful, respectful procedure, and if an open-casket funeral was possible before donation, it should be possible afterward.
3. Is my religion against donation? No. All major religions in the United States either encourage donation, viewing it as a generous last act of charity, or leave the decision up to the individual.
4. Can rich or famous people buy their way to the top of the waiting list?
No. The national transplant waiting list exists because everyone must wait on it, regardless of wealth or celebrity status. The only way to move to the top of the waiting list is to be extremely sick.
5. Will there be a cost to my family if I donate?
No. All costs associated with donation are the responsibility of the organ and/or tissue recovery organization. A donor family is only responsible for hospital charges until death is declared and for funeral expenses.
The truth is that one person has the power to save eight lives through organ donation and heal 125 more through tissue donation. And that decision means the world to people like Emmalyn. “[Emmalyn’s life] wouldn’t be possible without her donor and their family for giving us the most amazing gift—the gift of time,” Nicole said. “Here’s to an amazing year filled with fun, learning, and love.”
Emmalyn and Nicole volunteer for Life Connection of Ohio, the nonprofit organization that serves families and saves lives through organ donation. To learn more about organ donation, to schedule a classroom presentation, or to say “yes” to saving lives, visit lifeconnection.org. Kara Steele is Director of Community Services for Life Connection of Ohio. ✲
