In this season when many of us are looking for that perfect gift, Jess Schnur has a suggestion.
The registered nurse spoke to the Hendersonian and other media representatives recently about a new tool in your MyChart that facilitates the gift of life.
The patient portal has added a feature that allows users to easily register as organ, eye and tissue donors.
And in just the first three months since it became available, more than 1,000 Deaconess patients have already registered through MyChart.
Schnur, a registered nurse and native of southern Indiana, knows very, very well the importance of that.
At age 30, she was diagnosed with an autoimmune liver disease for which there was no cure and then cirrhosis, which put extreme limitations on her life and career as a medical professional. After six years it became clear that her hope was in receiving a liver transplant, and she went on the national list for a donor.
“Between the span of 30 and 35, everything just kind of shut down in my life,” Schnur said, though it wasn’t lost on her what receiving an organ donation meant for some other family who would be losing someone they loved if that became possible.
“You’re home waiting for that call, then you know someone else is having a terrible day,” she said.
But in August 2021, that was indeed what happened. She received a new liver from “a wonderful young man who had an unfortunate accident at work and died.”
Schnur received a liver transplant at IU Health University Hospital in Indianapolis in 2021.
She said the gift from that donor and his family saved three other lives in addition to hers.
Ever since then she has stayed in contact with his family, some of whom have also become active in promoting organ donation.
His mother, in fact, has told her that it’s good to know that her son is living on and that she’s been on a healing journey because of it.
“I’m here,” Schnur said, “because somebody registered. Someone made a generous donation.”
She encourages others to follow suit because she wants to pay it forward. To help accomplish that she works closely with other health care professionals to make sure they are educated and enlightened about the impact of organ donation.
“People shouldn’t be afraid about being a donor,” she said, noting that the holiday season is a good time to make sure your family members know your wishes and that you are registered.
There are multiple ways to do that, including your driver’s license and fishing license, but MyChart is easy and accessible.
Jared Antczak, Deacon Chief Digital Transformation Officer, said that not long after the organ donation registration feature was added to MyChart, he was surprised to learn from the vendor that Deaconess had quickly grown to be in the Top 10 of organ donor registrations among health system entities.
“It was profound recognition that our patients were just naturally finding it,” he said.
“It’s saving lives every day,” Antczak added. “There are difficulties when families are in a life or death situation. It’s harder to approach them (with the possibility of organ donation.)”
He noted that sharing information in MyChart with the National Donate Life Registry managed by Donate Life America becomes part of a patient’s records and “travels” with them.
“(But) This initiative is about more technology. It’s about compassion and connection,” he said. “By making registration simple and accessible, we’re empowering our patients to make a difference right from their own homes. The response so far shows just how deeply our community cares about helping others.”
Nationwide, more than 100,000 people are waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant. Just one organ donor can save up to eight lives, restore sight to two people and heal more than 75 others through tissue donation.
