Shannon Wyatt (left) and MaryJo Taira were two of 438 living organ donors who gathered April 21 at Millennium Park in Chicago.
Oak Parker Shannon Wyatt, 36, and River Forest resident MaryJo Taira, 52, were two of 438 living organ donors who gathered April 21 at Millennium Park in Chicago for the Guinness World Record Attempt: Living Donor Rally. Both women spoke to the Oak Leaves on April 27 about their experience.
Q: What was the event like?
MJT: The event was amazing. Just being there with so many people for the same amazing topic. It was mostly kidney donors. There were over 400 donors, and they had us all go to The Bean. There were so many people pulled together for this one purpose. I’ve never been part of a Guinness record of any sort.
SW: There were so many different people of all different walks of life, and they did the same thing I did. I was pretty blown away by the amount of people who came from different places; some people came from Canada or came from Texas. It was cool to hear from a liver donor.
Q: How did the opportunity to donate a kidney come about, and what does it mean to you?
SW: When I was 12, I was told you could donate a kidney because you can get by with one. That was probably my spark for the idea. My recipient was in the hospital with kidney failure. I knew his first and last name and saw him about once a year. The fact that we were the same blood type, I couldn’t go on with my life knowing this man was super sick. In November 2007, I got the call to be tested; four months later, the surgery happened. He was able to get five years with it. That was hard for me to accept. He’s been on dialysis for five years now. I would still do it all over again.
Q: What do you wish people knew about this topic?
SW: I work for Gift of Hope, an organ and tissue donation network for Illinois and northwest Indiana. It’s so important to register yourself as an organ donor. So many people think it’s a great idea, but don’t register. The worst thing is seeing family struggle with the decision after someone has died. Speak to your family about your intentions and register.