The best gift you can give someone is the gift of life, and that’s exactly what Suzanne Conrad did last February.

Conrad, who has been CEO of the Iowa Donor Network since 1997, decided not only to help people receive and donate organs, but to donate one herself.

Long time donor network volunteer Tom Jorgensen needed a kidney transplant after taking anti-rejection medications since a 1989 liver transplant. His family was unable to donate.

“He needed a kidney fairly quickly,” Conrad said.

“He couldn’t handle the dialysis any longer.”

Without hesitation, Conrad underwent the extensive medical and psychological testing to see if she could be a donor for Jorgensen. After finding out she was a perfect match, she talked things over with her family.

“It wasn’t a difficult decision at all,” she said. “My husband and mother were concerned because of the fact that our kids may need   something in the future, but I’m not a match for them.”

The surgery was a success for the retired school teacher. He had another chance to live his life because of Conrad’s noble act.

“It was something I really wanted to do,” she said. “I never once regretted it.”

Unfortunately, Jorgensen died in September because of acute liver failure.

Conrad, who grew up in Massachusetts but now lives in Swisher, said the people she meets, the employees and those who can be helped are the favorite parts of her job.

“My drive is to decrease patient deaths,” she said.

There’s no doubt that Conrad’s kidney donation was an act that represents what she believes.

— Christine Rojewski

Previous | Next