April 27th, 2023
When Lois entered this world in 1960 with Cystic Fibrosis, there was no way to comprehend the incredible legacy she would leave. This tiny, fiery fighter was never going to let her physical setbacks or disease stand in the way of her hopes, dreams, and aspirations.
Born the oldest of 4 girls, Lois’ maladies became a family affair, her sister Maria (a staff member here at GTS) remembers always knowing and understanding that her sister had extraordinary needs and the entire family learned to help care for and assist her sister. “We all had to learn the very specific way to pat her on the back to help her loosen the phlegm that would become difficult for her to pass on her own,” Maria shared, “I have very early memories of helping her in this way as she was 9 years older than I was.”
As Lois grew older, her bucket list grew larger, as does all of ours, but the doctors responsible for her care were quick to caution this small yet ambitious woman. Lois was determined.
After marrying she wanted what many young women want at this stage in life—a baby. Once pregnant, the doctor’s cautioned her to abort the baby for fear of severe, if not life-threatening consequences. Maria remembers, “she just looked at those doctors and said ‘if I die trying to deliver then that’s how I’m meant to go’ because there was no way she was going to give up this dream of hers.”
Not only did this mother-to-be carry her baby full-term, she survived childbirth and beyond and lived a beautiful and as normal a life as she could with her daughter, Amber. They would have 12 wonderful years together.
THE TRANSPLANT LIST
“Lois was 98 pounds soaking’ wet,” Maria remembers fondly. And because her sister was so tiny, Lois was a candidate for both the adult as well as the pediatric transplant list—she was so small that she would have taken a child’s lungs just fine.
“This is the biggest reason that my entire family are all very strong advocates for Live Organ Donation is that had there been more opportunities available to her, Lois would still be here,” says Maria.
And this is the heartbreaking truth, nation-wide there are over 104,000 people currently on the donor waitlist and over 17 people a day die waiting for a donor.
YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
The wonderful news is YOU can make a difference in the lives of these amazing men, women, and children.
The easiest thing to do is sign up to be a donor. All you have to do is make sure you check the box on your Driver’s License and talk to your family about your wishes (so they hear you say that you want this to be done).
You could save the Loises of the world so that they can continue raising their children and grow to meet their grandchildren, as Lois never got to meet her own grandson.
GLOBAL TRANSPLANT SOLUTION’S MISSION
Maria, like so many of our amazing staff at GTS, is so passionate about Organ and Tissue Donation. It’s in the very fabric of what we do every day—providing the world with the Servators™ that keeps tissues and harvested organs safe during the transportation phase.
We are honored to keep the memory of Lois alive in our hearts as she, and so many other brave fighters who lost their personal battles are the catalyst of our entire mission.
If you want to learn more about how you can become an organ donor, please visit www.donatelife.net. Your selfless gift has the opportunity to save many lives.
