During this episode of This Thing Called Life podcast, host Andi Johnson speaks with Donna Jones Baker who recently received the gift of life through the donation of a kidney and a heart. Donna has learned to appreciate organ donation and its ability to help save so many lives!
Episode Highlights:
- February 14th is National Donor Day, a day to honor all those who have been affected by organ donation.
- Donna was originally born in Paducah, Kentucky and went to Murray State University.
- After getting married, Donna lived in Baltimore for 22 years before moving to Cincinnati to become the CEO of The Urban League.
- Had it not been for the heart attack that she suffered, Donna believes she would still be at The Urban League.
- Initially, Donna received a Z-pack for what she thought to be a cold or a flu.
- Donna was able to make it to the hospital after suffering from a heart attack where she was equipped with an LVAD.
- Doctors wanted to give Donna a heart transplant, but couldn’t because they discovered cancer on her kidney.
- After doctors removed her kidney, Donna was placed on the transplant list for a new heart and kidney.
- According to the numbers, people of color suffer disproportionately from the effects of COVID.
- The months between her kidney removal and kidney/heart transplant were very scary for Donna.
- Doctors feared that Donna’s remaining kidney would not be able to support her and that she would have to go on dialysis.
- The same doctor that fixed Donna’s LVAD performed her heart and kidney transplant.
- Donna had to be careful with the medications that she took because the heart and kidney don’t want the same things.
- With the help of her husband, Greg, Donna was able to make it through a transplant during a pandemic.
- Donna advises those going through a similar situation to try not to think about it all the time.
- The gifts of life and grandchildren keep Donna grateful for every day that she opens her eyes.
- Through the pandemic, Donna has remained in touch with her children and grandchildren via Zoom.
- Working in organ donation is a tough job, but one that saves many lives.
- Donna hopes to schedule a trip to Baltimore to visit her grandchildren once the pandemic is over.
- Right now, there are over 100,000 people in need of a life-saving transplant surgery.
3 Key Points:
- After initially thinking she had the flu, Donna agreed to host a round table event on Friday the 13th. That following Sunday, she suffered a heart attack from Giant Cell Myocarditis.
- Many African Americans decline to become organ donors out of a fear that if someone of note needed an organ, doctors would take it from them without consideration for their lives.
- To stay in touch and grow with her family members, Donna has started a Sunday night Zoom Bible study.
Resources Mentioned:
- LifeCenter (website) (Facebook) (Instagram) (YouTube) (Twitter)
- Andi Johnson (website) (LinkedIn)
- Donna’s Story
- Urban League Of Greater Southwestern Ohio