“Thank you, Dad!” Marissa Salgado cannot say it enough. When chronic kidney failure changed her life, the 16-year-old endured years of daily dialysis.
Parents give their children so much: support, shelter, time, love. Wilfrido Salgado has given his daughter Marissa even more. This dad donated his kidney to save his daughter’s life.
During her 3 ½ years of illness after being diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, Marissa was far from “normal.” At only 16 years old, she was on dialysis nine hours every day and had to schedule her entire life around dialysis hours, frequent hospital visits, and her medication regimen. It was difficult for her to deal with school, family or anything normal because she had no way of knowing when or if a new kidney would come
Thankfully it did on December 1, 2009. Her father’s gift gave Marissa a normal life again. Though those years of illness were a terrible struggle, Marissa says, “This experience made me understand this can happen to any person at any age, day or time. These things happen to people on a regular basis which is why we should consider signing up as organ donors. Someday we may have the opportunity to give someone a second chance in life.”
“I was very blessed to have been given a chance to live again and be a ‘normal’ person. Thank you, Dad!”
Donate Life Northwest urges people to designate themselves as a donor. Code your driver's license as donor, sign up on line at donatelifenw.org, or call 503.494.7888 or 1.800.452.1369 for a paper registry form. Please... share your decision with your family!
