With National Organ Donation Day fast approaching on Feb. 14, Cove’s Edge Dietary Clinical Assistant Liz Winchenbach is reminded of the thoughtful generosity that saved her life. Like many others who have also received the gift of life, her story is told with one unwavering emotion: gratitude.

In 2002, a few persistent headaches prompted Winchenbach to get her blood pressure checked. Through more extensive testing, her doctors confirmed that her kidney was not functioning normally. They advised her that she would either need long-term dialysis or a new kidney, and recommended that she be placed on an organ transplant waiting list.

Winchenbach was assisted by the team at the Maine Medical Center Transplant Program to arrange her placement on the organ donation waiting list. They worked in partnership with her doctors to continuously monitor her lab work and the pace of decline in her kidney function. When it was determined that her family members were not eligible to make an organ donation, the search was expanded to a national database.

A few weeks after being told that dialysis would need to begin, she received her call. A matching kidney had been found. A young woman in Oklahoma, Melissa, was in a terrible car accident, and her family made the decision to donate Melissa’s organs that afternoon. Winchenbach was told to prepare for surgery that same night. She knew nothing about her donor at that time. Melissa’s kidney was a perfect match, and the surgery was successfully performed that evening.

About a year after transplant, Winchenbach learned the story of her donor and the circumstances that made her kidney available. She was invited to communicate with Melissa’s family and thank them for their tremendous gift. In turn, Melissa’s family shared a photo of their daughter and was happy to learn of Winchenbach’s ability to remain healthy and have the opportunity for more days with her own family and children.

Today, almost 10 years since her transplant, Winchenbach leads a normal, healthy life. Because of Melissa’s gift and the willingness of her family to donate organs on her behalf, Winchenbach enjoys life with her family — her children and now grandchildren. Her gratitude and relief have led her to become an organ donor. She is an ambassador for Donate Life in Rockland, and works with the Maine Department of Motor Vehicles in Rockland to register donors through license application and renewal.

“We don’t always know what impact our generous acts will have,” said Winchenbach.“But the gift of Melissa’s kidney has meant everything to me.”

For more information about organ donation, visit www.donatelife.net.