TEAM DONATE LIFE

A 5-year old took this stunning photo. Thanks Bost! We are missing a few team mates, will get another picture at our next team meeting.

James and I are running the Wasatch Back/Ragnar Relay in June. For those of you unfamiliar with this craziness of a 188 mile run that people do, me now being one of them--it's a relay that lasts approximately 24 hours. I've been asked by friends to run it the last several years and always had good excuses. Pregnant, want to get pregnant, just had a baby, would rather sleep that night than run, no thank-you, that sounds like a horrible idea...etc. etc.

But this year, when asked by my friend Jenna to join their team (mostly couples) she caught me on a really good day and in a really good mood. Feeling like I could do most anything...as I had reflected on this last year of our lives. I enthusiastically told her to sign us up. James was obviously in a good place too, because he agreed to run. Mind you, neither of us are runners. Don't do it, don't really like it...

Jenna said we needed to come up with a team name to register. So I got to thinkin'....and here's what I thought: Let's have a cause, let's make this bigger than 12 of us trying to make it from Logan to Park City. And soon enough "Team Donate Life" was born and will maybe be around next year and many years to come if I live to tell about it.

We are running to help promote organ donation and awareness. There is such a great need for donors. I think everyone would want to be a donor if they were educated on the facts or could see a little face like LuLu's and know she wouldn't live if someone wasn't willing to give.

We will decorate our vans with flags, posters, pictures and information spreading the good word about being an organ donor. Even if we just change one persons mind about checking YES I'd consider our run a success, but our sights are set much higher. Maybe we will even find a "Good Sam" to donate a kidney to one of many, many people on dialysis waiting their turn to have a normal life.

Fellow cyber-friends who are waiting for better parts (not just in Utah-anywhere in the world) and would like to be a part of our "team" (no, you will not have to run, but I'll stick you on our van)- I'd love for you to email me, attach of a picture of you and tell me your story. i.e.: your name, where you are from, the organ you are in need of, what the cause/underlying health issues are etc. etc. My email is elizabethbarnum@hotmail.com I'd LOVE to hear from you and WE would love to run for you.

I'd also love to include people that have benefited from organ donation. Please include the same above information but also include HOW it's changed your life. My deepest love to those waiting, and to those that have given, what HEROES you all are!

xoxo
Lizzie
Alpha-1, Liver Mum