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Would you help save another person’s life, even if it meant undergoing a difficult elective surgery?
When University of South Florida (USF) student Aiden Jaskolka-Brown became a living organ donor last May, the answer was a resounding “yes.” He later learned that his extraordinary actions ended up saving the life of his five-month-old infant near his hometown.
Beyond his remarkable acts of selflessness, Jaskolka-Brown is an impressive student in his own right. Jaskolka-Brown, a native of Denver, Colorado, is in his third year majoring in biomedical sciences and is a member of Judy’s Genshaft Honors College. He is in his seven-year BA/MD program at the Honors College and already plans to enroll. USF Morsani School of Medicine In the fall of 2024.
But it was during the spring 2022 semester that Jaskolka-Brown was inspired to make a change in her own life, working with cardiologist, palliative care specialist, and Honors Affiliated Faculty member Dr. John Dormova in the Honors Course Applied Medicine. This happened when I was taking a course on Ethics. decision.
exciting educational experience
Comprised primarily of M.D. students and others interested in a career in the medical field, the Medical Ethics course allows students to explore the gray areas of medicine and discuss different perspectives with colleagues. can. Through his teachings, Dolmois aims to encourage students to reconsider their preconceptions about medicine and develop a deeper understanding of the complexities of the field and how it uniquely impacts patients’ lives.
“Whether it’s organ transplants, access to healthcare, or brain death, everything is always a complex issue with nuances. There’s rarely a single answer,” Domois said of the topics covered in the course. he said.
These discussions piqued Jaskolka-Brown’s interest and motivated her to seek more information about living organ donation.
“I learned so much from that class. I learned that 96% of organ donors die, which means only 4% live. Even if only 0.01% donated their organs as living donors, there would be no transplant list,” Jaskolka-Brown said.
Eager to change this alarming statistic, he began contacting hospital organ donation programs across the country to explore potential living donors. Soon after, Jaskolka-Brown received a call from the University of Colorado Denver.
give a piece of yourself
He began medical tests, including blood tests, mental health screenings, and liver function tests, to confirm his suitability as a donor. A caring team of psychiatrists, hepatologists, social workers, and surgeons came together to secure his candidacy, and several months later, Jaskolka-Brown was matched with a recipient. , I decided to undergo surgery.
Unfortunately, the original recipient was then notified that she was no longer medically eligible before Jaskolka-Brown was able to donate.
“The difficult thing about being an anonymous donor is that you don’t know anything about the background of the patient you’re donating a part of,” Jaskolka-Brown said.
He was busy studying for the MCAT exam, so the waiting period for his beneficiary began again. Soon after, I got a call from Jaskolka-Brown.
“They asked… can you go under the knife in eight days?” Jaskolka-Brown said. Just a week later, he donated part of his liver to save his 5-month-old baby boy.
meaningful connections
Jaskolka-Brown’s own recovery process went well, and she felt normal after just six to eight weeks.
“Ultimately, I decided that my relationships with other people were what brought me joy and gave my life meaning.” – Honors student Aiden Jaskolka-Brown
Eventually, Jaskolka-Brown’s donor coordinator asked if she would like to send a letter to the donor’s family.
“I thought the explanation was that I wanted to save a life,” he explained, recalling his panic when he opened the mailbox to find a return letter from the recipient’s family.
After hearing from the family that her baby had improved greatly after the transplant and receiving a photo of a happy, healthy child, Jaskolka-Brown felt even more joy knowing that she had helped change his life forever. Ta.
Another month later, in late December 2023, Jaskolka-Brown returned to Colorado to meet the recipient.
“It was one of the most human moments…to see a baby grow and grow, and to see a happy family who didn’t have to deal with the tragedy of losing a child,” Jaskolka-Brown said. , I looked back on the moment I met my baby. her first family.
Over the next few days, Jaskolka-Brown spent more time with her baby and family over dinner, met with relatives and even attended her baby’s first birthday party.
Jaskolka-Brown said she still keeps in touch with the family and enjoys hearing about all the milestones in the infant’s young life.
“I received a text message the other day that he went on his first ice fishing trip! It’s so amazing to see such a happy baby heading out into the world.”
By sharing living organ donation success stories, Jaskolka-Brown hopes to inspire more people to think about how they can positively impact the lives of others.
“Ultimately, I hope to inspire others to do the same. It may not be as big a decision as having surgery to donate your organs to someone else, but Just donating blood can make a big difference in people’s lives.”
When asked if she thought others should make the same life-saving decision and consider becoming a living organ donor, Jaskolka-Brown was firm.
“If you have the ability to make such a decision, I think you should.”
