Ger Lor has a unique perspective when it comes to organ and tissue donation. “I first heard about organ donation when my dad received a kidney transplant in 2015,” he says. “I was just a little kid, and I didn’t really understand what it was. But then I grew up and decided to go to nursing school.”

As part of his nursing education, Ger completed an internship with Versiti Organ and Tissue, during which he learned about all aspects of the donation process. “There are two sides to organ donation—one side, where a family loses a loved one,” he says. “Then there’s the other side, where a gift is given to save a life.”

Now, he plans to use his knowledge to encourage the Hmong community to learn more about donation. “There’s not a lot of information about organ donation in the Hmong community,” he says. “There are a lot of myths out there, and a lot of communities don’t know about donation. I wanted to put my story out there and show people that it’s not just certain communities that receive organs or are donors. It’s very diverse.”

Ger also encourages people to keep things in perspective. “In the event that you’re going to lose your life, what would your last gift be? For me, my last gift would be to save someone else’s life,” he says.

Every 10 minutes, someone is added to the organ transplant waiting list.

Approximately 113,000 men, women, and children are waiting for life-saving organ transplants. One organ donor has the power to save up to eight lives and change the outcomes of someone’s world forever by giving them a second chance. Additionally, tissue donation can save and improve the lives of up to 75 people with their gifts. You can make a huge impact by registering as an organ and tissue donor.

Learn more about organ and tissue donation, or register as a donor at https://donatelifewisconsin.org.