BALTIMORE — Diagnosed with end stage kidney failure as an eight-year-old in 1988, Silke Neiderhaus received the greatest gift she could possibly imagine—-a new kidney.
“Thanks to the generous donor family… I remember to this day they lost their precious nine-month-old baby and life ended for them that day, but for me it started,” said Neiderhaus.
At a special Donate Life ceremony at UMMC, the father of 21-year-old Keagan Jaravata spoke of honoring his son’s wish to donate his organs after he died in a skateboarding accident.
“Keagan’s heart was gifted to a 50-year-old man from New York,” said Paul Jaravata, “His liver was gifted to a 53-year-old man from Pennsylvania. His right kidney was received by a 17-year-old male from North Carolina, while his left kidney was received by an 11-year-old kid here in Maryland.”
Just how great is the need for organ donation?
Well, we’re told that every eight minutes another name is added to the waiting list.
A list, which carries 2,200 names in Maryland alone.
The University of Maryland has now performed more than 10,000 life-saving organ transplants, and one of its surgeons may surprise you—-an eight-year-old girl who received a kidney 35 years ago who grew up fulfilling her dream to save others.
“The day I had my transplant the surgeon that I met actually said, ‘What are you going to do when you grow up?’ recalled Dr. Silke Niederhaus, “and I courageously said, ‘I’m going to be a transplant surgeon.’”
