The following is an Op-Ed written by Portland State women’s soccer player Cameron Dixon:
My name is Cameron Dixon. I am a 21-year-old senior on the women’s soccer team at Portland State University. I am a living organ donor. Last summer, I donated more than half of my liver to save my mother’s life.
My mother has an inherited genetic disease called PKD/PLD, or polycystic liver & kidney disease. This disease has impacted everyone on the maternal side of our family, and it is devastating. She has battled this disease for several decades, but despite her extraordinary health, diet, and fitness regimen, she went into liver failure last spring. Her doctors placed her on the National Transplant List, but the list is very long. Her chance of surviving until a match became available was not promising.
The liver is a fascinating organ. It is the only organ in the body that regenerates, so a person can donate a portion of their liver, and within weeks it doubles in size, and within months it is back to its original size. Recognizing that the transplant list was a long shot, our family started a GoFundMe campaign with a link to the transplant hospital where people could fill out a health questionnaire to see if they could be a match for my mom. She had the biggest response the…
