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Bob Dexter

With a new liver and a second chance at life, my life has changed in so many ways. I was even able to walk my daughter down the aisle.

With a new liver and a second chance at life, my life has changed in so many ways. One of the most important milestones for me was being able to walk my daughter down the aisle. I’ve also committed myself to volunteer work and spend a large amount of my time at the Portland VA Transplant Hospital as well as Donate Life Northwest. The contribution that I make now is to help others who are crossing the treacherous waters that I faced not so long ago. I give hope and tell them to think of all the things they are going to do in the future. I encourage them not to dwell on the sickness they are strapped with today.

My mission after my transplant experience has been to open people’s eyes to the critical need for organ and tissue donation. Whenever I get complacent, I try to remember all the friends I have at the VA Hospital who are waiting for their own transplants. They are people who no longer have control of their lives. They are scared, sick, and waiting, all the while hoping they can hang on long enough to get the call that there is an organ available for them.

My life has been extended by someone who has given me the greatest of gifts; a chance to live another day with the ones I love and cherish. For that, I have made a promise to myself and my donor that I will not waste a single day.

Donate Life Northwest urges people to designate themselves as a donor. Code your driver's license as donor, sign up on line at www.donatelifenw.org, or call 503.494.7888 or 1.800.452.1369 for a paper registry form. Please... share your decision with your family!