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MEMPHIS, Tenn. — April is National Donate Life Month. It highlights the life-saving impact of organ donors.

For one Mid-South family, that gift meant more time after years of dialysis.

For 5 years and 40 days, Memphis woman Gay Hannah’s life revolved around dialysis, strict limits and waiting.

Waiting for a call that could save her life.

“The doctor came in and was like, ‘Man, if it was 30 minutes later and you didn’t get her here in enough time, she would not be here,'” Hannah’s son, Matthew, said.
In 2015, what she thought was exhaustion turned into a medical emergency.

Doctors realized she was minutes from death — and diagnosed with end-stage kidney failure. She started dialysis three times a week, a grueling process that kept her alive but limited her life.

But days before her 60th birthday, the call came.

“To wake up after 5 years and 40 days and realize that I’ve been given a second chance to live,” Gay said, “that every breath that I take, I can’t take it for granted.”

More than 100,000 people in the United States are currently waiting for a transplant, most of them for kidneys.

Becoming a donor is simple.

You can sign up online or when you renew your driver’s license.

Hannah says the most important step is making sure your family knows your decision.

Now five years removed from her transplant, Hannah is happy, healthy and using her journey to inspire others, even writing a book about her experience.

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MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital and the Mid-South Transplant Foundation marked National Pediatric Transplant Week with a special tribute.

Transplant recipients, their families and donor families were honored during a flag-raising ceremony highlighting how organ donation saves children’s lives.

Among those sharing their stories is kidney transplant recipient Artavius Veasey, who said they are living proof donation works and are now giving back as ambassadors in the community.

“It’s very important for people in the community to see to know and see someone who is African-American and who is thriving 21 years with a kidney transplant to dispel the myths and misconceptions and to know that organ donation really does work,” Veasey said.

One mother spoke to that importance and the pride in her son for helping others.

“You know on your driver license where it said you wanted to be a donor. So he said since somebody helped me, he wanted to help somebody else. He said he want his legacy to live so he helped 67 people…so I was proud of that,” Tremetrius Barnes said.