“I don’t just live for myself” Centerville man recounts his journey as an organ donor and recipient

CENTERVILLE — April is national donate life month, and since 2003 Donte Life America has been working to raise awareness surrounding organ donations.

News Center 7 Kayla McDermott spoke with Donerik Black, a man who has been both an organ donor and recipient.

When his father needed a new kidney, Black was a perfect match, and he said there was no hesitation on his part to try and save his dad’s life.

On United Network for Organ Sharing’s website, it reports last year kidneys were the most donated organ with nearly 25 thousand donations which is 8% over what it was in 2020.

Black said signing up to become an organ donor is always a personal choice but tries to educate those who aren’t sure whether to donate or not.

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“Currently, 21 People die every day waiting on life-saving organs. And there are a lot of people who die and get buried with lifesaving organs. So, I would encourage anyone to check the box,” Black said.

Through Black’s donation, he was able to spend an extra 14 years with his father.

Later in life, Black was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, a condition where the heart struggles to deliver blood throughout the body.

He said his condition deteriorated to the point where he spent nearly 50 days in the intensive care unit.

Black finally received a new heart from a donor named Eric. Black said he continues to live every day to the fullest.

“I don’t just live for myself. I live for Eric, who’s my donor, his family, and I also live for those people who I’ve met throughout the years who weren’t able to get their organs or weren’t able to survive their transplant. So I’m living for a lot of different reasons,” said Black.

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