PORTLAND, Oregon — April is National Donate Life Month and the need for people to donate their organs couldn't be greater. Almost 1,500 people in Washington and nearly 800 people in Oregon are waiting for organ transplants.
Mike Clemenhagen has been standing by, hoping to get the call of his life.
"It's just been nothing but waiting and being stressed out," Clemenhagen said.
The call he wants more than anything is to find out that a liver is available. He's on two lists to give him the best chance.
"You know, there's two ways to go on a liver. One is a deceased donor that OHSU does and the other one's a living donor that's down at the University of California San Francisco. I got on that list too," Clemenhagen said.
He's been on the lists since last summer and has been called a few times since January, but nothing has panned out so far.
"There's lots of people out there that wait and actually get too sick to be on the list or they die waiting on the list," he said.
It was almost a year ago that Mike found out he had cancer in his liver. It started when he got Hepatitis C.
"It took 11 months to get over it get through the process of that and then after I completed that, I found out I had cirrhosis of the liver. And that's what's causing the HCC, the cancer," he said.
His story is one reason why Donate Life Northwest wants more people to donate.
"We really want to heighten awareness and encourage people to learn about donation because it's a personal decision and most important, it's something that should be shared with your family, so they know this is what you wanted," said Mary Jane Hunt from Donate Life Northwest.
According to Donate Life Northwest, a person is added to the waiting list every eight minutes. Each day, 17 people die waiting for an organ.
"Donation can make such a positive impact. Not only to that one person receiving an organ, or a cornea or a skin graft, or bone, but think of their family members," Hunt said.
Clemenhagen remains optimistic that he will get a call and hopes others will, too.
"Why not? If you're going to pass, why not leave something to help someone out," he said. "Be caring."
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