Health Plus: Donated liver saves Cedar Falls man - KWWL.com

Thanks to organ donation, out of the tragedy of death can come an incredible gift of life.

In Health Plus, how one eastern Iowa man survived a fatal liver disease through the generosity of a stranger.

Nearly ten years ago, death was closing in on Del Jaramillo.

The Cedar Falls man was hospitalized with a failing liver.

"I had about two weeks left," he said.

Amazingly, a liver came available for the now 69-year-old thanks to an organ donor.

"Somebody had to die for me to live, let me put it that way. If God would have asked me, you got a choice you can live but she has to die I would have never made that choice you know," said Jaramillo. 

 "It struck me and you could hear maybe a little bit of guilt in his voice about someone dying so he could live. And what I tell people is that person was going to die on that day anyway, so we're just very thankful that they made the choice to donate," Paul Sodders with Iowa Donor Network.

Sodders says Iowa is currently recognized as one of the most donation friendly states with nearly 70 percent of adults registered as donors.

"There's 113,000 people waiting in the United States for a donor right now. One donor can help up to 70 people," said Sodders.

For Del another chance at life is a gift he never takes for granted.

"I would encourage everybody to be a donor. You never know, you know, some day you might need something," he said.

You can register to be an organ donor by going to www.iowadonorregistry.org or simply checking yes on your driver's license.