“When I learned that my sister Rosie needed a liver transplant, I’d already made up my mind to step forward as a living donor.

Rosie was in the hospital being treated for an unrelated condition when doctors noticed abnormalities with her liver. Further investigation revealed it was riddled with tumors. They were benign but had the potential to become cancerous, and there were too many to remove surgically. Eventually, doctors determined a transplant was the only viable option.

Her diagnosis unfolded over time, giving me enough time to research liver donation on my own—just in case it came to that.

The screening process consisted of some of the most thorough medical exams I’ve ever had—CT scans, MRIs, blood tests. They produced detailed 3-D images of my liver and documented exactly how part of it would be removed and where it would go in my sister.

The surgery itself was swift but also surreal. I checked into the hospital feeling perfectly healthy and woke up feeling like I’d been run over by a truck. Luckily, the staff were amazing and gave me the best possible care for my recovery.

It takes about six weeks to regenerate for both the donor and recipient, after which the liver is back to full functionality. Rosie’s full recovery took about three months. She’ll always have to take anti-rejection medication and is immunocompromised, but overall, her health and lifestyle are back to normal. My recovery is 100%, and I feel better than ever.

I’ve been relatively healthy my entire life, and this experience gave me insight into what it’s like to be critically ill. It also created a strong bond between my sister and me that’s unique and indescribable, and it gave me even greater respect for medical professionals who save lives every day.

For anyone considering donating an organ, my advice is to go into it with eyes wide open. Ask questions. Do research. Talk to others who have donated if you can—the hospital arranged this for me, and it was extremely helpful. Know that this is major surgery and there are risks, even if those risks are low. Make sure you can be out of commission for several weeks, mentally and physically.

Living organ donation is not for everyone. It’s a huge undertaking. But there are things we can all do—make sure you’re marked as an organ donor on your driver’s license. Consider donating blood, plasma or bone marrow. All of these things can make a big difference in somebody else’s life.”

—Paul Richardson is an IT software developer for the Finance, Faculty, and Research team in University Support Services’ Engineering unit, which is part of the University Information Technology (UIT) organization