Morris Hospital raises a flag of hope, urges organ donation

Morris Hospital raised a flag to promote organ donation at its main entrance on Friday, partnering with Gift of Hope to show that additional lives can be saved.

More than 106,000 people are waiting for a live-saving organ transplant, and a new person is added every 10 minutes to the national transplant waiting list. Hilary Kelly, a Morris Hospital employee and one of the speakers, was put on that waiting list multiple times over her 15 years spent on kidney dialysis.

“In 2007, at 20 years old, I went to a local ER because I was experiencing crushing chest pain,” Kelly said. “On that same day, I was diagnosed with end-stage renal disease, and had my first dialysis treatment. I was informed that I would also need a kidney transplant.”

It took a year before Kelly discovered her cousin was a perfect match, and he donated a kidney to her in 2008. Unfortunately, Kelly faced complications and the kidney had to be removed, and she needed a major health improvement before she could get put on the transplant list again.

In 2012, Kelly started being evaluated at Mayo Clinic for a heart and kidney transplant, as the previous attempt had greatly damaged her heart. The evaluation went on until 2017 because she had fears moving forward. It took many several life adjustments and improvements, such as taking up walking for exercise and quitting smoking, before she was approved for a kidney transplant again.

“I had an anaphylactic reaction to a medication and was in an ambulance receiving CPR on the way to an emergency room down the street from the main clinic,” Kelly said.

She was released back home after a nearly two week stay at Mayo Clinic, and returned heartbroken to continue her dialysis.

“My heart did rest a bit easier knowing that the kidneys successfully did go to somebody else that day,” Kelly said.

Then COVID-19 hit, and Kelly went through another delay. It took until Aug. 11, 2021, after years of dialysis, loss, and hopelessness for Kelly to receive a kidney. She is now healthy and living the life that she loves.

Also speaking on Friday was Alexandra Brailles, a Wilmington firefighter and paramedic who has seen her life twice touched by organ donation. Brailles said people around the world are waiting in desperate need of life-saving organ transplants, and they’re fighting for their lives hoping for a second chance. That chance lies in the hands of everyday people who can decide to donate their organs when the time comes.

“For me, it started on July 11, 2021,” Brailles said. “At 3:52 a.m., I received a call from my mom. At the time, I was on a 48-hour shift.”

Brailles said her first feeling was one of relief: She’d drawn ambulance duty at the fire house and a call at 3:52 a.m. typically means a fire, and she’d finally gotten a chance for a rare restful night’s sleep while at the station.

“No need to get out of bed,” she said. “It meant I could go back to sleep. I put my phone back on the nightstand and rolled back over into the comfort of my blanket. Then it hit me. Why was my mom calling me at 3:52 a.m.? My stomach immediately dropped.”

Her mother was sobbing when she answered the phone, and Brailles had to leave work. She met her family at Morris Hospital, and she recalled her last conversation and last words to her father earlier that day.

“I said, ‘I love you, dad,’ and ‘I’ll see you in two days,’” Brailles said.

She said her mind flooded with memories when she was interrupted by a coworker, David Pollack, and his loud truck. He was there to offer a supporting embrace, and he helped Brailles keep her head high as she went to say her final goodbyes.

Her father, José Brailles, fought a seven-year battle with multiple system atrophy. She said he came to America from El Salvador at the age of 13, and he always believed he was meant for something bigger.

“Parts of him are still alive, giving the gift of hope to hundreds through his organs,” Brailles said. “His major contribution were his kidneys. My father was 53 when he passed, and two men at that same age were saved due to his gifts. Almost three years since his donation, and we’ve been told they are living and thriving strong to this day.”

José's organs have gone to recipients across 14 states, along with Chilé and overseas to Asia.

Brailles lost Pollack in Sept. 2023 to a car accident. She said he had a heart of gold, and he was her coworker, best friend and big brother.

“He was a true goofball who infused every interaction with laughter, joy and dark humor,” Brailles said. “Beneath his playful exterior was a heart of gold, overflowing with care and compassion for those around him. He was not just a colleague or a brother to all. He was, and still is, a guardian, fiercely protective of his brothers and sisters and always ready to lend a helping hand.”

Pollack, she said, was able to provide the same life-saving gift to her father was. Knowing he was able to donate his organs and save lives, she and the family have moved forward rather than moved on.

“We remember them in the people they live within,” Brailles said.

Dr. Isaac Mezo, a neurologist with Morris Hospital, said he sees things from a different perspective. He sees the bad side of working with organ donors, and he has to ask families at a bumbling time if they would like to donate.

“I’ve never seen a family say no to organ donation,” Mezo said. “That makes me very proud of the community that I serve, with the humbling experience that I have working with these families. It’s just beyond words.”

Mezo said organ tissue and eye donation is the gift of life to those who need it, and one donor can save eight lives by themselves.

Gift of Hope President and CEO Dr. Harry Wilkins said his organization is one of 56 organ procurement organizations in the U.S., serving 12 million people across three quarters of Illinois and parts of northwest Indiana. He said over the past 10 years, Morris has had 11 donors and saved 42 lives.