Kelsi was 23 when doctors diagnosed her with adult idiopathic scoliosis and told her she’d eventually lose the ability to walk. Surgery was her only chance to live a normal life and a tissue donor was her best chance at a successful surgery.
Her pain was already debilitating, but with a curve that was increasing a degree each year, Kelsi was expected to have severe breathing problems by age 30. When she went in for surgery in November of 2011, her back was at a 45 degree curve in both the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae.
Although the surgery came with no guarantees, Kelsi knew she had a good shot at an effective procedure and speedy recovery because of the gift she would receive from a donor, a gift from someone she would never meet. The surgery changed everything. Today, Kelsi is a mom to 2 kids, she was able to carry and chase them through their toddler years, and she now lives the kind of life she once worried might not be possible. That experience never left her. It shaped the way she sees the world and the way she gives back. Through her work with In Memoriam, a funeral home in Broomfield, Kelsi now helps families honor the lives of the people they love, telling stories that preserve memories and celebrate legacies. Saying yes to donation reaches further than we can see. Sometimes it helps someone stand taller. Sometimes it helps them build a life
“Going through with the surgery was the best thing I could have ever done,” she shared. “I think it’s safe to say that if I didn’t receive donor bone, I would be living a completely different life.”
April is National Donate Life Month, a national observance highlighting the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation. Flag-raising ceremonies bring awareness of what it means to be an organ donor and highlights the partnership between Donor Alliance and the Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum.
