John Chambers
He shares how grateful he is for the transplant he received several years ago, and the donor who gave him another chance at life.
“Over the years, I began to neglect my health and steadily lost my ability to control my drinking. By January of 2020, I was told that I needed to quit drinking for a full year to be eligible to be placed on a liver transplant list.” John tells us that in late December of 2020 his health took a drastic turn for the worse, placing him in the emergency ward at the VA hospital in La Jolla. Doctors quickly made the decision to immediately transfer him to the VA hospital in Portland, one of the major centers for transplants on the West Coast. There he desperately waited on the transplant list for a new liver.
When asked about what that wait was like, John says, “It was a very difficult time. My condition continued to deteriorate, and I was not aware of much of what was happening around me,” and reflected that the transplant team was even evaluating whether he was strong enough to go through with such a major operation. Luckily, the team decided they wanted to move forward, and two weeks after arriving in Portland, a match was found.
After receiving that news, John says he felt “very anxious about the procedure, but I felt confident that I was in good hands. As sick as I was, for the first time in months, I felt a sense of hope about the future, and being able to live again.”
As he was recovering from surgery, John was given the opportunity to write the donor's family a “thank you” letter and send it to them. He says that, “If I met the family today, I would tell them how very grateful I am that their loved one made such a huge sacrifice and gave me new life. I am deeply grateful to my donor for making the decision that would save my life. It is one of the greatest sacrifices that someone can give – to donate your organ to help someone else live. If I had a chance to do the same for someone else, I would.”
John says the transplant has changed his outlook on life, “It has made me step back and think more deeply about the meaning of life and relationships. It has made me value the small things in life, and love and respect the body and good health.” And goes on to encourage everyone to cherish each moment, “because life is fragile and none of us know how long we have.”
Now sober for several years, and enjoying his new lease on life, John encourages everyone who is unsure about being a donor to sign up, “I believe it is the most gracious thing that a person can do for someone else. Just knowing that you have the power to save a life is incredibly life-affirming.”
