Rev. Phil Pinckard on the prophetic duty of organ donation

A Bold Request

November 10-12 is National Donor Sabbath weekend, set aside by the Organ Donation Coalition to raise awareness and increase those willing to become donors. In recognition of that weekend, we offer you this article.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8, New International Version

Sunday, October 29 was a busy day in Des Moines, Iowa. President Bush had come to visit. Secret Service personnel were protecting the president and his entourage as they prepared to leave the city. At the same time, coordinators from the Iowa Donor Services Network were collaborating with teams from across the country to recover seven organs from a donor in Des Moines.

As the heart team prepared to leave the hospital and return to Little Rock, Arkansas, they were told by the Des Moines airport that no flights would be allowed to leave because the President was on his way to the airport, preparing to fly back to Washington, DC. In fact, the organ recovery team was asked to “hold off” as long as they could before the heart team would be cleared for take-off.

Organ recovery is a time-sensitive effort. Organs must be recovered, transported and transplanted in the recipients within hours. One of the Iowa Donor Network coordinators actually called the airport back after receiving that news, and asked to speak with the Secret Service. He explained that the heart team really needed to leave and that it wasn’t possible for them to waste time. His bold request to the Secret Service: “Please do anything in your power to get this heart team out as soon as possible!” The heart team pilot was also working with the Secret Service to expedite their trip back to Little Rock.

The Secret Service responded, doing the extraordinary! Local law enforcement reported that the Secret Service asked the Presidential motorcade to slow down, allowing the heart team to beat them to the airport and leave before the President arrived to board Air Force One. One bold request made a big difference for a heart recipient in Little Rock!

An e-mail from Kristie Reed was posted on the Organ Donation ListServe: “I am the transplant coordinator of the heart team from Arkansas yesterday. I would like to thank all the people involved in making this happen. We had a cold ischemia time of three hours and 53 minutes. Any waiting would have put us over that four hour mark. Thanks to Iowa Donor Services, Arkansas Regional Organ Recovery Agency, Rick Edward [Heart Team pilot] and everyone else involved in making a difference. The heart is working GREAT!!!”

Life is what happens when families consent to donation! Compassion for people and a passion for the donation option caused someone to make a bold request. “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” In sudden death situations, when appropriate, I frequently approach families for consent to donation. What would happen if I did not make such bold requests? James writes: “You do not have, because you do not ask…” One bold request makes a big difference!

 

Thanks to Paul Sodders, Kristie Reed, and Walt Nickels whose e-mails on the Organ Donation ListServe were sources for this article.

 

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