HAMPTON ROADS, Va. – For Theresa Schoening, the wait is starting to take a toll.
“I get emotional,” Schoening said holding back tears. “I get emotional when I think about it because I’ve been waiting so long and not getting any better.”
The 68-year-old Mathews County woman has been on the transplant waiting list for almost three years. She’s been waiting for a liver. Schoening has a late-stage liver disease which she said is very debilitating at times.
“I can only take short steps. I get very dizzy because my ammonia level every once in a while gets up and I end up passing out on the floor,” she said.
While many might be thinking organ donations only happen after someone dies, you can also be a living donor. That’s what Schoening’s family is hoping for—a portion of a living donor’s liver.
“That would function better than what she has right now and it would save her life,” said Schoening’s daughter Melody Moore.
While more people are signing up to become organ donors, the need is still critical, according to experts.
Dan Shuman with LifeNet Health, which handles organ transplants in the commonwealth, said more than 2,700 Virginians are on the transplant waiting list with more being added every day.
Shuman said some people wait more than five years for an organ.
“Each of us can save up to nine lives through organ donation, and more than 150 lives through tissue donation,” said Shuman. “Each of us can make a difference with that simple decision to be a donor.”
Laurie Cooper, who we first met in April at her Yorktown home, is also looking for a donor. The 66-year old said she’s been waiting for a kidney for more than a year.
“I’ve kind of exhausted all my other means,” Cooper said. “I’ve asked everybody I know. I’ve asked them to share my story with as many people as they can. So far, I have not had anyone come forward.”
Cooper’s brother in Richmond also needs a kidney donor.
On this National Organ Donor Day, they, along with Schoening are making a desperate plea while encouraging more people to sign up to be a donor.
“I know there’s a lot of people that believe in the donor program and I firmly believe there’s somebody out there that can help me,” Cooper said. “I just pray every day. My day will come.”
It’s very easy to become an organ donor. You can register at the DMV when you’re applying for or renewing your license. Or you can go online at RegisterMe.org.
If you’re interested in becoming a living donor, you can visit your local transplant center.
If you’d like to help Cooper and believe you’re a kidney match, contact her at LCooper956@aol.com.
If you’d like to help Schoening by donating part of your liver, you can email her daughter at melodymoore123@gmail.com.
