By Rachel Kampa
WRC Intern

   Becoming an organ donor is not about persuasion, it is about conversation, according to Shaye Krcil, RN.

    Krcil is the project coordinator for Donate Life Black Hills, a campaign developed by the nurses at Rapid City Regional Hospital. The goal is to raise awareness of the need for organ and tissue donors and to help families start a conversation about becoming a designated donor.

   “We have been involved in situations where the organ donation conversation has never occurred and the family has no idea what the wishes of their loved one are,” said Krcil.

    Wendy Asher, nurse practitioner and project team member, said she has seen the positive effects organ donation can have on the families of donors.

   “Organ donation can be something good coming out of their tragedy,” she said.
Krcil said that it can be a legacy of healing for the family as they see the giving spirit of their loved one continuing after death.

    The Catholic Church teaches that “organ donation after death is a noble and meritorious act and is to be encouraged as an expression of generous solidarity. It is not morally acceptable if the donor or his proxy has not given explicit consent” (CCC 2296).

    Bishop Blase Cupich said, “Since the time of Pope Pius XII, the church has explicitly stated that transplants are permitted based upon the principle of fraternal charity.”

    There are 2,800 people on the waiting list for organ and tissue donation in the Midwest region. Donor designation can be put on a driver’s license or done by printing and filling out a form on the site www.DonateLifeSD.org.

    Krcil said organ or tissue donation is a personal decision, and the campaign will hopefully dispel some of the myths and help people to start talking.

   “We want to make sure people have the facts and they know what their options are,” she said.

    The campaign is using commercials, ads and billboards to get the news out to the target counties of Pennington, Meade, Lawrence, and Custer. Donate Life Black Hills is funded by a federal grant. Rapid City Regional Hospital is not a transplant center, but it works with LifeSource, an organ procurement organization to support the families of organ and tissue donors in the area.