by Jason Brudereck | Reading Eagle
Unfortunately, the two men weren't a match, at least as far as kidneys go.
Ken donated a kidney anyway. It went to a stranger. Such selflessness is breathtaking. Being a willing organ donor while you're living with no significant health problems is extraordinary.
It's not as extraordinary to be an organ donor when you're gone. But it's an extraordinary gift of life to those you leave behind anyway.
In Berks County, 43.6 percent of us have chosen to be organ donors in the event of our deaths, according to Donate Life Pennsylvania.
Berks ranks 45th of 67 state counties for the percentage who have agreed to be organ donors at no cost to us. Every county that borders us has a higher percentage except for Schuylkill County, where the percentage is 42.
Statewide, 44.9 percent have said yes.
Pennsylvania ranks 30 of 50 states.
We can do better.
Ken Cooper's story was featured last week on the front page. "If just one person signs up to be an organ donor because of this article, that would be wonderful," Cooper said after he told me his story.
One donor can save or enhance the lives of more than 50 people, said Howard Nathan, president of the Gift of Life Donor Program, which serves eastern Pennsylvania.
"Organ and tissue donation can free people from dialysis treatments, give the gift of sight, repair joints, save limbs or help burn victims heal," Nathan said. "Each day, 18 people on the national organ waiting list die because an appropriate match wasn't found in time. The likelihood of finding a match increases with more registered donors."
April is National Donate Life Month.
More than 8,000 people in Pennsylvania are awaiting an organ transplant.
Give a thought to them when you renew your driver's license. Consider becoming a donor.
To do so before then, visit www.dmv.state.pa.us/organ_donor/index.shtml and click register online.
As Ken would say, that would be wonderful.
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