PORTLAND, Ore. — More than 3,000 people in the Pacific Northwest are waiting for lifesaving organ transplants. The nonprofit Donate Life Northwest has registered nearly three million Oregonians to be organ, eye and tissue donors, but a lot of people still haven't had the conversation about being a donor.
A powerful new documentary called "A Donation Conversation" aims to reach a wider audience and spur more people to enroll as organ donors. The film centers on the story of a Forest Grove family, the Dieter-Robinsons.
Six-year-old Ana and 11-year-old Abigail were killed when a car ran over them while they played in a pile of leaves in 2013. In the documentary, their parents talk about how their legacy lives on through organ donation.
In this week's episode of Straight Talk, Brittany Falkers sits down with Jackie Wirz, executive director of Donate Life Northwest, and Aimee Adelmann, a two-time kidney transplant recipient and the executive producer of the documentary, to discuss the importance of organ donation.
They talk about the impact of having a "donation conversation" — and how to start one. Adelmann also discusses her participation as an athlete in the multi-sport Transplant Games, coming up in August.
You can register as an organ donor online at donatelifenw.org or at your local DMV office. You can also request a paper form by calling 800-452-1369.
Straight Talk airs Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday and Sunday at 6:30 p.m.