April is National Organ Donation Month.
As of March 30, there were 3,227 North Carolinians waiting on an organ. The national number was 107,828. One person can save up to eight lives and change the lives of up to 50 people. To register to be an organ donor, go to DonateLifeNC.com.
This will be the first of four articles that will tell a little about the struggles that some of our hometown people went through or are willing to go through for others.
Organ donation is such an important thing. Many people from all over the world have stories about how their lives have been changed and even saved because of an organ transplant. One of these people is Shamique McMillan.
McMillan, a sophomore at West Bladen High School, grew up with lupus. Lupus can be a debilitating disease. She learned in 2015 that a transplant was needed due to liver failure caused by her lupus.
She was placed on the transplant list at the end of 2016.
For those that may not know, getting an organ the day placed on the list is not the way it happens. There’s usually a wait, and the length of time can vary.
During the time she was waiting, her family became her biggest supporters during this long fight.
“Mom and Dad supported me even when I wanted to give up,” McMillan said.
Her life, as well as her parents’ lives, changed so much when she found out that she was in need of a transplant. She was not going to school everyday and her parents were not going to work.
McMillan went home from school early on the day she received the call about an organ being available for her. She was in Whiteville with her mom and had to rush home to meet virtually with the transplant coordinator.
After the transplant, she had more energy and was able to do the things she could not do before. She was finally able to come back to school and participate in activities.
She’s also now working a part-time job.
Her advice to others is, “Don’t ever give up, be patient, and always have faith.”