Donor Connect is an organ procurement organization that bridges the gap between recipients and organ, tissue and eye donors.
Leslie Anderson, a hospital services specialist with Donor Connect, says the organization is federally designated.
“There’s quite a few throughout the United States and the government tells us what area we cover,” Anderson says, “so, we cover all of Utah, part of Idaho, and a little of Nevada and Wyoming.”
As a public educator, Tresa Hyde goes into schools, into driver’s education courses and talks to people about what it means to become an organ donor and what they can do. She says it can be a very somber conversation, especially because the people she teaches are so young. But she adds they should know what it means if they mark “donor” on their driver’s license.
“My goal is never to go in and say which choice is right and which choice is wrong for anybody,” Hyde says. “It’s just more so giving them information when they make that decision on their driver’s license. ... It is a choice so you might as well have the information you need.”
Both Hyde and Anderson agree that working with families at either end of the donation can be tender.
“You’re asking someone in their darkest moment to have the capacity maybe to sit in their grief and make a big decision to consider another family you have the ability to potentially save another family member’s life,” Hyde says. “In another family when you and your family are going through on of the most difficult things.”
Anderson adds that one donor can save up to eight lives and that’s just through organ donation. With eye and tissue donations, she says that the number goes up to 80 lives.
“We can’t do it without you guys,” Anderson says. “So, make sure that if you do wish to be a donor that you’re registering, if there’s something that you know you don’t want to donate … you can go to yesidaho.org and pick what you do and don’t want donated. And have those conversation with your family.”