ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pa. — Jenny Ireland was in desperate need of a new liver, so she and her husband posted signs and signs around town looking for a donor. The sign says “Thank you” because I received a new liver.
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“This has restored my faith in humanity,” Jenny Ireland said.
Ireland was diagnosed with end-stage liver disease in 2022 and waited two years for a new organ transplant.
“They said the best thing for me was to find a living donor. My husband was my advocate and he wanted to do the signs, the yard signs, everything.” she explained.
The couple, who were looking for a living donor, created a website, distributed yard signs and purchased several large signs that read, “Become a living donor and save Jenny's life.”
“It was hard to put that much energy into it.” [into the search] So our lives revolved around that,” Ireland said.
Until this October, a stranger found her and donated the gift of life. Her donor, Angel Debbie, was also on the hunt. When she saw the yard sign, she thought of making a phone call.
“She had bought her son a Batman toy, but the dog had eaten it, so she was looking for a replacement, and when she was trying to get it, I saw my signature,” she said.
Now, two months after her surgery, Ireland is healthy, active, and trying to help others.
“I'm happy to help someone, whether it's finding a donor or being there for them after they've gone through something,” she explained.
Ireland hopes that by providing a support network and sharing her story, she can help others consider organ donation.
“I don't think a lot of people even realize that you can donate part of your liver or part of your kidney and still be very healthy and live a normal life,” she says.
To contact Ireland, visit her website. https://jennyireland.com/
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