Santa Ana PD corporal raises awareness for organ donation

SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) -- Cpl. Steve Ahearn has been with the Santa Ana Police Department for 27 years and appears to be the picture of health. He has been on dialysis for three years, still working, but still needing a kidney transplant like 100,000 other Americans.

"It's not always easy, but it's a drive that I have to try to continue to serve, to try to continue to work hard to be an example for others," Ahearn said.

Ahearn is telling his story now to draw attention to a desperate need in the U.S. for more organ donors.

According to the National Kidney Foundation, over 101,000 people needed a kidney transplant in 2013, but only 16,896 kidney transplants took place, and 4,453 patients died while waiting.

Dr. Ervin Ruzics of St. Joseph Hospital in Orange wants to close that gap, calling organ transplantation the greatest success story in medicine.

"Somebody once said, 'Don't take your organs to heaven. Heaven knows we need them here,'" Ruzics said.

According to Ruzics, 97 percent of kidney transplant recipients at St. Joseph survived longer than three years over the last 10 years.

"If you are a candidate, a transplant will double how long you live. It will save half your life," Ruzics said.

But because getting a transplant is no guarantee, Kathleen Hostert of OneLegacy encourages people like Ahearn to tell his story -- not just for him, but for the thousands who are just like him. They need help to stay alive.

If you would like to know more about organ donation, or advice on how to talk to your family about it, visit donatelifecalifornia.org.