By SARAH THOMACK
St. Joseph Post

April is National Donate Life Month and a Falls City, Nebraska, woman shares her experience and encourages others to register as organ donors.

Polly Koelzer’s daughter Danielle was in a car wreck in July 2003. According to Koelzer, doctors told her Danielle was not going to survive and asked if they would consider donating her organs. Koelzer said it was not an easy decision to make in the hospital just 12 hours after the car wreck, but said she’s glad they decided to donate.

“A 7-month-old baby got half her liver,” Koelzer said. “The doctors told us (Danielle) probably saved over 100 lives, seven with major organs and the rest with skin, bones, tissue, everything else.”

Koelzer said she has kept in contact with the 7-month-old, Analiese, from Danville, Illinois. Analiese is now 16-years-old, off of anti-rejection medicine and doing well.

“I am so grateful that they kept in touch with me all these years. I met her one time when she was probably 12, and I want to go out and see her again,” Koelzer said. “It helps the donor family a lot to know that their child or loved one lives on in someone else. The mother called me one time and asked me about traits… she said this daughter is nothing like her other two daughters. She’s more outgoing, I would say, more rebellious. That’s the way my daughter was.”

Koelzer encourages others, no matter their age or health condition, to consider registering as an organ donor.

“If you think you’re old and can’t donate, that’s not true, there are things people can use like your eyes, corneas. It’s very important to donate.”

For more about organ donation, go to donatelife.net.