Donating Life

Survivors Urge Others To Help With Transplants

By Mary Lou Creamer

Times Herald

There are 10 things on his list, and right now, Bryan Wak is focusing on No. 9.

That's encouraging others to sign organ donor registration cards.

Wak, who next month celebrates the 13th anniversary of his liver transplant, has accomplished most of the things on his list. He has attended a local transplant support group and the U.S. Transplant games. He also has been trained to speak about organ donation.

The Lexington man is hoping his newly-published book, Hold the Onions, Pass the Liver (Xulon Press), will bring attention to the cause. The book chronicles Wak's transplant experience and provides tips for transplant patients and families.

"The main thrust of this book is to get people to sign donor cards," said Wak, the 50-year-old owner of Ben's Fine Furniture in downtown Port Huron. "Am I going to make money on it? I don't care.

"The only thing I care about is that people sign donor cards so that others can live. If it wasn't for the decision of a Grand Rapids family, I wouldn't be here today, and these pages would be blank."

Wak figures his timing couldn't be better. April is National Donate Life Month, which assists in raising awareness of the need for organ, tissue and marrow donation.

According to the United Network for Organ Sharing, which operates the nation's transplant system, there are 84,646 people awaiting organ transplants.

In Michigan, more than 2,500 people are waiting for a kidney, heart, lung, liver or pancreas. Hundreds more need other organs and tissues.

"If there were more donors, I wouldn't have had to wait four months for my transplant," said Kevin Hornbeck of Marysville. The 35-year-old underwent a rare multi-organ transplant last year that included the duodenum, stomach, pancreas and small bowel.

"I've seen a lot of close friends die because of the wait," Hornbeck said. "People need to see more of what we've seen, then they'll realize how much these organs are needed. What good are they being buried or burned?"

Copyright © 2004 The Times Herald.

This article posted May 2, 2004.