Kentucky by Heart: State organ donation program brings sense of hope to times of tragedy

By Steve Flairty
NKyTribune columnist

Back in 1992, Arthur “Whitey” Walson of Winchester lost a cousin who was waiting for a heart transplant. The whole episode touched him deeply, and with a sense of hope he figured his position as Circuit Clerk of Clark County might provide a public forum for him to do something proactive. He wanted to help others seeking transplants to see a better fate, and their loved ones to avoid the pain of loss.

Today, folks all over the state are appreciative of the leadership of Walson, now deceased, as he led in the effort to form the Kentucky Circuit Court Clerks’ Trust for Life donor program—the first like it in the nation. It’s become a Godsend for many, along with being an opportunity for citizens to help those in need of organ transplants.

Trust for Life (TFL) then established the Kentucky Organ Donor Registry in 2006, and about 98 percent of the 1.4 million Kentuckians added to the registry originate from the work of clerks all around the state.

The effort to match organ donors with those in need has spawned many stories of success. Melissa Corman, Versailles, supplied a wonderful example. Her son, Zac, signed onto the registry in 2008 when renewing his drivers’ license. That same year, he received massive head injuries in a car accident.

“Within 24 hours, and many tests, he was declared brain dead,” said Melissa, “and we were made aware that he was on the Donor Registry. His brother remembered him talking about being a donor and it helped us to know that he had made the decision himself. It was one less decision we had to make when we were in shock and disbelief.”

Zac’s gesture, noted Melissa, saved five lives in five different states, including the transplant of his heart to a person at Jewish Hospital in Kentucky. Though the pain of Zac’s untimely death will always be with Melissa, she’s been buoyed emotionally by some things that have happened in the aftermath. Her son’s responsible actions in 2008 bring a certain amount of joy today.

“We learned that Zac had been an advocate for organ donation when several of his friends approached us at the funeral visitation and showed us their license and said he had encouraged them to sign up,” she said.

Another boost for Melissa came in 2013 when a support organization called Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates (KODA) hired her as a family support liaison. She previously worked tirelessly as a volunteer there when introduced to the group after Zac’s death. Referring to her “soul sisters” she has befriended with KODA, she noted that they “helped me heal over the years and ultimately provided my livelihood.”

On the Trust for Life web site, there are more accounts of triumph from different counties as people have offered their organs to save others’ lives. Shelley Snyder shared this compelling personal story of a mother in Woodford County.

“My son, Ryan, died from a gunshot wound to the head that day,” she said. “It made no sense to me; the death of my child. I wanted to do something that did make sense, something good and something that would bring a sense of hope to this tragedy. Organ donation was my answer.”

Though Ryan passed on, his mother holds tightly to the good his organ donations have done.

“Ryan was the perfect donor; young, healthy, and no damage to his major organs from his injury,” she said, “allowing all of his organs available for transplantation. Ryan’s heart, lungs, kidneys, liver and pancreas were donated to give new life to those so desperate for a second chance.

“Organ donation has been ‘heart healing’ for me. Ryan has provided a bridge from me to his recipients; my extended family. Ryan’s legacy lives on; a legacy that gives hope and new life.”