When Amber was 15 years old, her mother Wydia became ill and was diagnosed with kidney failure and lupus, an autoimmune disease. “She was our love, our security, our rock,” Amber says. With limited resources, Amber underwent testing and found that she was a perfect match to donate a kidney to her mother. “The cool thing about living donation is you don’t have to be a relative.” she says. “I could save my mom’s life. What a revelation!”

Thanks to Amber’s gift, Wydia was able to spend 15 more years with her family before passing away in 2022 at age 61. “She got to see me get married and give birth to four beautiful babies,” Amber says. Now, she advocates for others to consider joining the organ and tissue donor registry.

“You may never know who you’ve impacted by being a registered donor, whose life you might extend, and the new experiences they’ll be able to have,” she says. “Throughout the process, you realize how many donors and recipients exist. All of those experiences bring you together to realize, we are each other’s keeper.”

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.