Column to show how organ donation gave life a chance

UPDATE: Here is a link to the column I wrote about in this earlier post.

I am writing my Sunday, March 21, Gazette column about the death on Wednesday, March 17, of Emerson Martin.

The North Liberty man was Iowa's first heart transplant recipient. He was 50 when he died. He received a donated heart in June 1985 at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and lived far beyond what he imagined.

I covered health and science for more than a decade as a reporter but met Emerson through my youngest daughter, Alison, and one of his three daughters, Ashley. The girls grew up in North Liberty as good friends. My column tells a little bit about that.

Emerson was a great ambassador for the UI Hospitals and Clinics' transplant programs. His message was clear about how much he appreciated the UI doctors, nurses and other transplant team workers and, especially, the family of an Illinois man from whom he received the donated heart.

Accordingly, Emerson's family donated his corneas after he died.

My wife and I saw Ashley at her UI graduation a few years ago and took a picture of her with Alison, who graduated from the UI the same day. Otherwise, I had not seen Emerson, his wife, Traci, or their children for many years, even though we both live in the North Liberty area.

ORGAN DONATION

For more information on organ donation:

Iowa Donor Network

 United Network for Organ Sharing

My contact information: (319) 398-8210 or

lyle.muller@gazcomm.com