As an active 61-year-old mother and grandmother, 莎莉·雅各布森(Sally Jacobson)从未想过她的人生故事会包括为了生存而等待肝脏移植. Sally had always enjoyed staying busy. 除了她在大福克斯的瓦勒保险公司的全职工作, she was a Cub Scout den mother, 4-H leader, and church organist for over 40 years. But in August of 2005, just about a week after receiving a job promotion, Sally began feeling fatigued. She did her best to ignore it and push on until December, when she found herself in the emergency room.
A Failing Liver
经过多次检查并从她的右胸腔抽出了超过四升的液体, Sally被诊断患有慢性自身免疫性肝炎和肝硬化. Altru gastroenterologist Dr. Chu confirmed that Sally would need a liver transplant. As ill as she felt, there was no hesitation on her part. In early 2006, 她被列在移植等待名单上，转到罗切斯特的梅奥诊所, Minn.
No Time to Spare
莎莉的病情迅速恶化，没有她的电子游艺靠谱排行人员和丈夫的帮助，她无法下床, Jake. Every two to three days she would undergo thoracentesis, 将一根针插入她的背部以排出肺部和胸壁之间多余的液体. 她知道，如果不接受肝脏移植，她活不了多久. “My surgeon at Mayo - who was from Bismarck, ND - had asked if I was willing to accept an older liver, should one become available. At that time, “他是国内唯一一个将老年人肝脏移植到年轻人身上的外科医生, 有了这个选择，他就能更好地满足现有的肝脏移植需求.“仅在美国，任何时候都有1.5万到1.75万名患者在等候名单上.
A Miracle in the Making
在雅各布森一家等待可能的肝脏的过程中，他们开始失去希望. On the very day the call came, 莎莉说:“她丈夫走出房间给家人打电话，告诉他们我可能赶不上了, knowing just how sick I was.” At her bedside was the hotel phone, which suddenly rang. “It was my surgeon!” exclaimed Sally. 他告诉她，已经有了一个肝脏，需要她在两小时内送到医院.
Sally also shared that their son, Rob, 他们一家住在同一家酒店，和孩子们一起在泳池边, 罗布突然跑上三层楼去看她. As he came in the door he said, “Mom, you’ll never guess, 但我觉得今晚你会得到一个肝脏!” They were overjoyed. Before leaving the hotel, Sally’s family prayed together, 对她和将要进行手术的外科医生来说. 她的丈夫还特别为捐赠者的家人祈祷了一句, knowing they had just lost their loved one.
It was April 2006, and prayers had been answered. Sally received a successful transplant. 她得知她的肝脏来自一位82岁的纽约老先生，他死于脑动脉瘤. Sally was 61 at the time.
Amid Joy, Despair
在接受移植手术三周后，她还在梅奥医院康复, 萨莉和她的丈夫收到了一个噩耗:他们珍爱的孙女诺拉死于婴儿猝死综合症(SIDS). 她的不幸死亡发生在日托所，就在她一岁生日的前几天. 梅奥医院的医生允许莎莉回到北达科他州与家人一起哀悼. 莎莉还说，“我的女儿和女婿”知道器官捐赠的重要性, 他们象征性地让女儿成为器官捐献者. 他们知道如果没有器官捐赠，我就不会在这里.”
Organ Donor Ambassador for Life
她接受了肝脏移植手术，获得了“生命的新机会”,“莎莉把尽她所能教育和鼓励其他人成为捐赠者作为自己的使命. 她从器官捐赠的两个方面都知道这是什么感觉——从一个陌生人那里接受生命的礼物，让一个家庭成员成为一个陌生人的生命礼物.
作为器官捐赠大使，莎莉的努力得到了全国的认可. in 2012 she was named LifeSource Volunteer of the Year, 并于2015年因捐赠家庭支持卓越而获得尼古拉斯·米勒奖. 她继续提醒人们“一个人在任何年龄都可以成为器官捐赠者”的重要性. You’re never too old.” Sally is living proof.
Together, Sally and Jake have often served wherever there is a need, including providing hospitality for Trails4Transplants, a 300+ mile horseback ride from Warren, MN to St. Anthony, ND. 他们的目标是提高人们对器官和组织捐赠的认识，同时为罗切斯特的生命之家筹集资金, MN. 所得款项为移植病人及其家属/照顾者提供负担得起的住宿.
莎莉还在努力制定一项州法律，要求公共驾驶教育课程包括器官捐赠的信息. That has been one of her proudest moments.
Living Legacy Wall – Locally
萨莉在倡导和为“我们的生活遗产墙”筹集资金方面发挥了重要作用, 就在大福克斯的奥特鲁医院的大厅里. 2014年，这是北达科他州第一次电子捐赠, 该网站每年都会更新，并邀请捐赠家庭提交他们亲人的照片和悼念. Among those highlighted is her granddaughter, Nora.
On April 23, 2014, her liver’s 90th birthday, 市长迈克尔·布朗宣布了“捐赠生命日”，并送给萨莉一把城市的钥匙. Sally was the keynote speaker. 就在这个月，大福克斯市长布兰登·博钦斯基向她颁发了一枚奖章，以纪念“捐赠生命日”，以及她一直以来呼吁人们关注器官捐赠重要性的努力.
Sally spoke about a beautiful quilt she keeps on her bed, and the one block with a cross that she treasures. 上面写着:“我是某个人，但我的一部分属于别人.” She added, “ You know God‘s hand was there.“今天，当她庆祝她的肝脏98岁生日时，莎莉继续充实地生活. And she remains forever grateful.
