I'd like to introduce myself to you. My name is Diana Carter. I had been a registrered nurse for fifteen years when one day I received a call that no mother ever wants to receive -- my child was dead. He'd been critically injured in a motorcycle accident. As I raced to the hospital, all of my nursing professionalism and critical care experience seemed to leave me. I'd been through this with other families; now I was one of those families. As I arrived at the hospital, I was told that my son had not reached cardiac death, but that his chances of living were unlikely.

I stayed at my son's side for five days and nights until the doctors confrimed what I already knew in my heart to be true. My twenty-year-old son, "Daku," was brain dead. Having known my son's feelsings, I knew what had to be done. The decision to donate his organs was both the easiest and the most difficult decision I've ever made. Easy, because I knew what my son wanted: to live on, and in fact he could, through the process of organ donation. The same decision was difficult, because I hated to let go. The tears that had flowed for the past five days stopped. I looked into the faces of Daku's two little sons, his brothers and sisters, grandmother, and other family members and friends. Immediately I knew there must be a reason for my son's unfortunate tragedy.

As the days went on, I believe I came to know that reason. Six months after Daku's passing, I was recruited to work as a transplant coordinator, which involves managing potential organ donors. I also work as an organ donation consent coordinator, counseling other grieving families and requesting consent for organ and tissue donation.

Now, being actively involved in the transplant system, I have been made acutely aware of the need for increased and more focused education. I did not hesitate when the Coalition on Donation approached me relative to do TV and radio public service announcements promoting donation awareness. As I see it, this was a part of the reason.

As I am becoming more involved with donor families, transpalnt recipients, transplant candidates, and the general public, I am becoming broader in my understanding of the reason. My ongoing communication with minority families has led me to realize that there are many fears and concerns amongst the minority community. Some of these concerns are:

• fair and equitable distribution of organs
• religious beliefs
• fear of mutilation of their loved one's remains
• a financial expense connected with organ donation

So to all of you who have ever pondered what you would do if you ever had to make the decision to donate a loved one's organs or tissues, and especially to those who like my son Daku and myself made that decision to give "the gift of life" I say, "Dry those tears and be positive, for there IS a REASON."

Sincerely,

Diana J. Carter
Donor Mother and
Transplant Professional
with a reason