Delivering Hope: the gift of placenta donation
01/18/2022Lindsay Gibson was a young girl when she was introduced to just how valuable donation can be. Her father was not only a liver transplant recipient, but also received a lifesaving kidney. Lindsay saw firsthand how life-changing organ donation can be, as her father’s health changed drastically for the better.
“His momentum, his energy was back after having that transplant,” says Lindsay as she reflects on how quickly her father’s health was restored.
Lindsay's Gift of Healing
Flash forward to 2020, when Lindsay was pregnant with her second child and learned about Donor Network of Arizona’s (DNA) placenta donation program.
Given her history with the incredible power of donation, she immediately said “Yes!” and when little Finley Gibson was born, she donated her placenta after her scheduled C-section.
“Having a baby, it was a gift to myself but being able to give a gift for other people made it more exciting and beneficial,” Lindsay says when telling DNA about her choice to donate her placenta. “I will definitely tell [my son], that when he was born we donated his placenta, and what gave him life is giving somebody else an opportunity to heal.”
A record-breaking year
On Oct. 19, DNA completed the 200th placenta acquisition in 2021. By the end of 2021, 249 women decided to gift their placenta or birth tissue to those who will benefit from their life-changing gift. Placental tissue is used to aid in the healing of difficult injuries, treat burns, and reduce scarring to injuries.
DNA expresses its immense gratitude to the mothers who said “Yes” to donation, as well as the nine hospitals across Arizona that make donation possible. This milestone was made possible by the teamwork these hospitals show with DNA, and the commitment they have to change lives, one donation at a time.