Adding people to the county?s Organ Donor Registry
by Peter Jakey, Managing Editor
Jim Bursey of Millersburg is alive today because a young downstate woman made the decision to become an organ and tissue donor. Bursey received both of Brianne Hovey?s lungs when the 21-year-old Lawton woman?s life was cut short Oct. 1, 2009 due to a brain aneurysm. Jim?s two daughters, Renee Szymanski and Heidi Flewelling, almost as a way to give back and say thanks, have been reaching out to others to raise awareness and add people?s names to the state?s Organ Donor Registry. The sisters met with area residents at the Secretary of State (SOS) branch in Rogers City on Buddy Day to help answer questions and encourage people to become organ/tissue donors.
APRIL IS ?Donate Life Month? across the country. ?Restart the Heart? is the SOS? theme for the month. Buddies have either received a transplant, are waiting for one, are the family and friends of a recipient or donor or are organ donor supporters. The women greeted each person, who entered the Bradley Highway office Tuesday between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. ?I always wanted to, but never did,? said Betty Gapczynski, expressing her interest in becoming a donor, and following through by filling out the paperwork.
Also assisting was longtime Lions Club member, Bob Urlaub. The local service club has been a huge supporter of the Michigan Eye Bank?s mission of restoring sight. Renee and Heidi received training in October and have been going out in the community as representatives of Gift of Life, to bring up Presque Isle County?s number up, and currently is at 23 percent. Emmet County had 79 percent (Nov. 2010) of residents signed up as potential donors, the best in the state. (A complete version of this story appeared in the April 14, 2011 edition of the Advance)