Man donates an organ to a stranger for the second time
DIAMOND SPRINGS - A local man is starting the year off with his second organ donation.
Jeremy Olson underwent surgery in 2022 at the UC Davis Medical Center to donate a kidney, and a little over a year later, he'll be undergoing surgery again for another organ donation, this time, part of his liver.
"I want everybody to have an awesome life. Why wouldn't I want to do this," Olson says.
He is trying to highlight the need for living donors.
"We just need more live donors," he says.
It all began in 2022 when someone his wife worked with at the local symphony needed a kidney. Unfortunately, the person passed away during the screening process, but that didn't end Jeremy's decision to help save a life. Instead, he went through with the donation to a total stranger.
"You don't need to wait for someone to ask for an organ. There's 100,000 people waiting, mostly for kidneys, in the United States," says Olson.
Now Jeremy is getting ready to donate a portion of his liver to another stranger.
"It's an honor to be a donor. It's an honor to really help someone. I would tell them they don't owe me a thing," he says.
Jeremy is quick to point out that while surgery and recovery might be a hassle, it's all worth it to save a life.
"It's an inconvenience for us, but life-changing for someone else. It's a no-brainer for me," he says."
