Important Things First Time Donor Registrants Should Learn

Teenagers should not have to breathe laboriously. Two years prior, Micah Clayborne, a spirited 13-year-old tennis enthusiast, sensed something amiss. He endured symptoms like persistent sweating and breathlessness for six months before confiding in his parents, who swiftly took him to the hospital. Doctors diagnosed him with Danon disease, a genetic disorder that thickens heart muscle, leading to heart failure. Within weeks, he found himself second on the national heart transplant waiting list. After ten months, he received a new heart. Now 15, Micah reflects on how this journey has reshaped his outlook and increased his awareness of the transplant waitlist’s challenges, stating, “Not everyone gets transplants often.” Each year, thousands like Micah find themselves in urgent need of organ transplants amid a critical shortage, with approximately 17 individuals dying each day while waiting for vital organs.