Early this week on the news, I heard a brief mention of an organ transplant team returning to U of M on an emergency flight. Their plane went down in Lake Michigan and rescuers expected to find no survivors. Knowing little or no details, the incident struck home as I contemplated the fact that organ donation may be in my family's future. Sometime down the road, we might be depending on a donor and a similar transplant team. A day later, I learned that the cardiac surgeon on board is the father of a family that attends my childrens' preschool. The older children attended the school when Frankie was there and the youngest attends now, concurrent with Rita and Rose. I never knew the parents well because our children have never been in the same class. But I often saw the mother at parenting meetings and always appreciated her outlook and approach with her kids. In this very busy, end-of-the-year week, I have felt deeply for this family and have been reading excerpts from the Ann Arbor News and local blogs to learn what I can about the crash. In the process, I've seen many testimonials from organ donors, recipients, and health care providers that have reminded me of the massive number of people awaiting transplants and the shortage of organs. If you haven't already signed the back of your drivers license, allowing harvest of your organs upon death, please reconsider. There are many seriously ill people that could be given a totally new lease on life were they to receive a transplant. There is no chance that your organs would ever be taken before you were completely unable to use them yourself. If you respect the dedication and sacrifice made by this transplant team, registering yourself as a potential donor is a way to honor their memory. | 
