There is no age limit to donate an organ

You may remember Judie Wolfe, who donated a kidney to her friend when she was 69 years old. Judie and Terri are the “poster children” for the Alaska Kidney Patients Association’s 2013 Inaugural Dash for Organ and Tissue Donation. They both feel strongly and are very vocal about elders being living donors, especially for their peers.

In the fall of 2012, there was a chance meeting between former co-workers Judie Wolfe and Terri Teas (both grandmothers). During the conversation Terri confided in Judie that her kidneys were failing. Though Terri had just started dialysis, she just didn’t feel very good and knew she would feel so much better if she could get a kidney transplant.

Terri’s son was in the process of being tested to donate, but Judie offered her kidney to Terri if she needed it. Terri did, so Judie started the journey to becoming a living kidney donor and four months shy of her 70th birthday, she donated one of her kidneys to Terri.

If you are interested in hearing a bit more about Judie and Terri, there is a short video posted on http://www.alaskakidney.org. Yes, almost a year later things are good and they still believe in living kidney donation at any age.

Judie and Terri invite you to join them at the 2013 Inaugural Dash for Organ and Tissue Donation. The Dash will be held on Saturday, September 21 at the West End of Delaney Park Strip in Anchorage.

The Dash for Organ Donation is a 5K run/walk to honor the lives of deceased organ and tissue donors and their family members, celebrate the lives of organ and tissue recipients, applaud those who are living organ donors, and recognize those who continue to wait for a lifesaving transplant.

Join the Alaska Kidney Patients Association as we promote organ and tissue donation, living organ donation, highlight the success of transplantation and encourage Alaskans to join the Alaska Donor Registry and give the “Gift of Life” or consider becoming a living organ donor.

We want to show the number of lives touched by organ donation by creating a “sea of green” at the 2013 Inaugural Dash for Organ and Tissue Donation on September 21, 2013.

To register go to http://www.alaskakidney.org or for more information call (907) 240-2562.