Ava Thompson has been an organ donor advocate since her autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease diagnosis at age 6
Credit: Courtesy Ashley Thompson
NEED TO KNOW
- Ava Thompson was inspired to advocate for organ donation after her grandmother received a kidney transplant from her late aunt
- She founded Michigan’s only active Student Organ Donation Advocacy chapter to encourage conversations about organ donation
- Thompson was named Gift of Life Michigan’s first-ever youth champion for her efforts to raise awareness and educate others
A Michigan teenager is being praised for her years of organ donation advocacy.
Ava Thompson was diagnosed with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease — a genetic condition that causes “fluid-filled cysts” to develop in the kidneys, per Medical News Today — when she was just 6 years old.
Due to the risk of kidney failure and other complications, she soon learned that there was a chance that she would need a kidney transplant in the future, WoodTV reported.
Credit: Courtesy Ashley Thompson
According to the outlet, that same year, Thompson saw her grandmother receive a kidney transplant that was donated after her aunt died. The situation inspired her to become an advocate for organ donations.
“It was a pretty sad, happy moment,” Thompson, 15, told WoodTV. “I’ve been able to see how much of an elongated life it could give her.”
Credit: Courtesy Ashley Thompson
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April is National Donate Life Month (NDLM), a period dedicated to raising awareness of donations and encouraging people to register as donors.
The work Thompson has done since her family’s sentimental moment has led to her being named Gift of Life Michigan’s — a non-profit organ and tissue donation program founded in 1971 — first-ever youth champion.
She told WoodTV that witnessing her grandmother receive a kidney transplant gave her the recognition of how many people benefit from just one donation.
“You’re not just touching that person’s life, you’re touching all the lives that that person touches,” she said, per the outlet. “It’s so important to me because I’ve been able to see what it’s given to people and I’ve been able to see how it’s impacted people’s lives and how positive it is.”
Credit: Courtesy Ashley Thompson
Thompson started the only active Student Organ Donation Advocacy chapter in Michigan at Allegan High School, according to WoodTV. She hosts conversations about organ donations at events that encourage others to discuss the possibility with classmates and family.
She expressed aspirations to eventually work for Gift of Life to continue educating others about organ donation.
When asked about being honored by the organization, Thompson said, “It’s pretty exciting to know that all the things that I’m doing are being recognized and actually helping people.”
Read the full article here
