Hundreds of Idahoans on transplant waiting list

April is National Organ Donor Awareness Month.

Eight hundred Idahoans are currently on the national transplant waiting list.

Rob Parkinson was on the national transplant list for five years.

“I will always remember the F riday , we call it our F riday when we found out that Jeremy rose had an accident and he was on life support,” said Parkinson.

That accident five years ago that would change Parkinson’s life forever.

“Our family gathered together. It was a very frantic afternoon,” said Parkinson.

At the time, Parkinson was terminally ill, battling liver disease.

“The doctors told us it was near the end. You know my health was deteriorating. We were fullyaccepting that Iwould probably not be in this mortal life much longer,” Parkinson said.

However, it all changed on that Friday.

“It’s humbling to me to think of someone else in a traumatic situation like that. When so much is going on in their lives, so much surprise and shock that they would step outside of themselves and actually think of someone else’s need,” Parkinson said.

After learning of her husband’s work accident, Kristene Rose jumped on a plane to Hawaii.

When she got there, she was faced with a big decision.

Doctors told her he was brain dead.

“Took a moment and didn’t understand what was going on and all the sudden I was holding his hand and I could feel him tell me that he didn’t need them anymore and that it was OK,” Rose said.

Jeremy Rose wasn’t listed as an organ donor.

That day,Kristene found out her former church bishop, Parkinson, was desperately awaiting a live match.

She knew her husband would want to help.

“He would give the shirt off his back or even the sock off his foot,” Rose said.

On that Friday five years ago, without even knowing it, Jeremy gave someone the most precious gift.

“It’s bonus day 1,859 for me. I wake up every day and count the day that I get to be alive,” Parkinson said.

“I would say he has the best liver out there,” said Rose.

You can donate blood, bone marrow, and a kidney now.

You can save up to eight lives by becoming a donor. To learn how you can become a donor,click here.