Geoffrey Atkeisson, born in Kansas, traveled around the world. He was a member of Class 2013 MBA from the Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California. During school time, Geoff discovered a love for supply chain management and data analytics. After graduation, Geoff moved to Japan and China and his work focused on developing forecasting models for customer demands.
Geoff found himself back to southern California again in summer 2016 to start his newly married life. Unfortunately, a small dissection in his carotid artery caused a stroke and led to an intracranial bleeding. Geoff’s passing was unexpected and organ donation was never discussed. Knowing Geoff was a loving and compassionate person, family decided to donate his gifts to people in need, and it was no surprise to find out that Geoff had registered to be an organ and tissue donor.
On September 15, 2016, less than one month before his 38’s birthday, Geoff became a hero of three families when he was able to donate his heart, liver and kidneys. His heart recipient is a father of four in his 50s. His tissue donation will enable more people to return to a normal life.
We take great pride in telling his story, “On the worst day of our lives, we found some comfort knowing there were other families cheering because of Geoff.” We want to continue to honor him on Donate Life Float in the Rose Parade. We hope Geoff’s story will inspire more people to register as donors.
Signing up as an organ and tissue donor is a first, and a heroic, step towards saving lives. Being a donor allows you to save 8 and change up to 75 lives. But you might be looking for more ways to help.
Once you’ve signed up if you’re looking for more ways to help support organ donation and increasing the Donate Life California registry consider a few of the below. Some will take time or money, but most of them just take you sharing your story of why you decided to become a donor.
Talk to Your Family & Friends
After you’ve decided to become an organ donor a great way to support the cause is to talk to your friends and family about your decision. Starting this conversation with the people close to you helps bring organ donation to the front of their minds. Talking to with them about why you made your decision might just encourage them to sign up as well. And for them to share their own story, creating a ripple effect of supporting organ donation.
On top of sharing your support for organ donation, these conversations can help ensure your family knows your wishes if the situation will arise. Even when you’re on the donor registry it’s still important for your family to know what’s important for you if a time comes to make a decision.
Great Ways To Help Is By Sharing Your Story
Telling family and friends why you decided to become an organ donor is a great step but how can you go bigger? Think about ways to share your story beyond just your family.
Take a few minutes and create a social media post in support of organ donation and why you are a donor. Pop over to our Facebook page and feel free to share any of our images or stories.
Has donation touched your life in ways more than just signing up as a donor? Consider sharing that with a group you’re involved in. With a class you’re taking. Or with your co-workers.
Telling the story of why donation is important to you and why you signed up as a donor to encourage others to follow in your footsteps.
Help Others Register
A great way to help us increase the donor registry is hosting an eCampaign. What’s that? It’s a free tool that allows you to promote organ donation to your community and help register donors.
Get beyond your own network and volunteer to share about the impact organ donation can save lives within your community. Consider becoming a Donate Life Ambassador. You can represent Donate Life at community events, local DMV offices, and during presentations. Learn how you can volunteer with Donate Life.
Make A Donation
Another way to continue to support Donate Life California and our efforts to increase the donor registry is making a financial contribution. Your gifts, of any size, help us reach more individuals around the state on why it is important for them to join the registry. As well as helping us to thank and honor donors and their families.
If you’re considering supporting Donate Life California with a gift click here for more information. You can also consider selecting Donate Life California as your Amazon Smile recipient, where you can shop like normal and support organ donation!
Geoffrey Atkeisson, born in Kansas, traveled around the world. He was a member of Class 2013 MBA from the Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California. During school time, Geoff discovered a love for supply chain management and data analytics. After graduation, Geoff moved to Japan and China and his work focused on developing forecasting models for customer demands.
