WOMAN ADVOCATES FOR DONATION AFTER RECEIVING LIVER TRANSPLANTLorrinda Gray-Davis, of Yukon, Okla., is a strong advocate for the things she believes in. For most of her professional life has been an advocate for minority, women and small construction companies. After she received a much needed a transplant to save her life – she became an advocate of organ donation.
Lorrinda lived most of her life with no health concerns. After living out of state for twenty-two years, she moved back to Oklahoma. After eight months of moving she was not feeling well and eventually went to the emergency room, where she was diagnosed with pancreatitis and end stage liver disease. |
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It took nearly three months to get back to work. Once she was back, her coworkers made comments on how forgetful she was. Unbeknownst to Lorrinda, she had elevated concentrations of ammonia in the brain, also called hepatic encephalopathy, which can lead to different neurological symptoms. Several months after returning to work she was in the hospital with pneumonia and was advised that she had liver cancer.
Lorrinda was shocked, to say the least. Her aunt moved in and along with her family helped to begin scheduling everything from doctors’ appointments, medication, exercise and food.
She and her family worked with the transplant hospital on the procedure she would need to treat the cancer, assistance filling out paperwork and the testing required to be added to the transplant list.
February 2018, Lorrinda was placed on the waiting list to receive a liver. While she was waiting, she did everything she could to stay healthy. She waited nearly six months for the call of a possible liver. She was so excited to receive a liver transplant! At the hospital getting ready to go to surgery, the doctors learned that the liver they hoped to give her was not viable.
Discouraged, Lorrinda went home. Just one week later, she received another call that changed her life: she would receive a transplant the next day!
Lorrinda received a lifesaving liver transplant on August 8, 2018.
She woke up from her transplant feeling like a new person. Not only is her health in better shape, but she also looks at life totally different and is grateful for the donor that saved her life.
After her transplant, she and her aunt completed ancestry kits to know themselves a little better. To their surprise, she found and met her father for the first time.
She strives to live every day better than the last both for her and her donor.
Lorrinda was shocked, to say the least. Her aunt moved in and along with her family helped to begin scheduling everything from doctors’ appointments, medication, exercise and food.
She and her family worked with the transplant hospital on the procedure she would need to treat the cancer, assistance filling out paperwork and the testing required to be added to the transplant list.
February 2018, Lorrinda was placed on the waiting list to receive a liver. While she was waiting, she did everything she could to stay healthy. She waited nearly six months for the call of a possible liver. She was so excited to receive a liver transplant! At the hospital getting ready to go to surgery, the doctors learned that the liver they hoped to give her was not viable.
Discouraged, Lorrinda went home. Just one week later, she received another call that changed her life: she would receive a transplant the next day!
Lorrinda received a lifesaving liver transplant on August 8, 2018.
She woke up from her transplant feeling like a new person. Not only is her health in better shape, but she also looks at life totally different and is grateful for the donor that saved her life.
After her transplant, she and her aunt completed ancestry kits to know themselves a little better. To their surprise, she found and met her father for the first time.
She strives to live every day better than the last both for her and her donor.
