Facebook now has the option of converting your profile to include your wishes to be an organ donor. John Barker, however, doesn’t need a click to show his willingness to help.
The Maple Grove man gave up his kidney to an acquaintance in July 2010. Hear about the happenstance that brought Barker together with his recipient and how it’s changed their lives for the better in the August issue of Maple Grove Magazine, available August 1 at maplegrovemag.com.
Until then, here’s Barker’s organ donor advice:
1. Do your homework. “Make sure you get all the information up front.”
2. Prepare for the interruption. “You are going to be off of work.”
3. Pain before gain. “You are going to have to put up with some discomfort.”
4. Donating an organ can bring a new outlook on life.
If you are interested in donating, Barker recommends the Hennepin County Medical Center. “They have a really great donor program.”
Contact HCMC’s transplant coordinator Eugenia Steffens at 612.873.7705.
