Brenda Pogue’s son, Joseph, died in the hospital five days before his 33rd birthday from a devastating aneurysm in his brain in 2004. Joseph was fondly known by friends and family as “Mr. Peabody.”

Brenda says she remembers the night in the hospital a kind nurse pulled her aside and told her that Joseph was not going to survive. She realized she had to face reality and release her son. However, Joseph had made a simple decision in the kitchen of his home with his new wife a few months before that was to change the course of Brenda’s life forever. He had pledged to be an organ donor.

Shortly after Joseph’s death, the lives of four individuals were literally saved by his commitment to organ donation. In April 2009, Brenda met one of the organ recipients. She is a young woman who had a successful kidney transplant at the age of 17. Brenda says this lady’s family has become just like her own. Brenda said, “Part of my child was keeping her alive.”

It is South Carolina state law that in every hospital, in every instance of an individual being declared brain dead, the question of organ donation must be decided. At this point, an organization called Life Point comes into the situation to counsel the family. If the individual has not made the decision for themselves already, the family must make a decision about organ donation. This is a very difficult time to face this issue.

Since her son’s death, Brenda has become very involved with Life Point. She is a faithful member of the Midlands area support group and volunteers with the organization to speak in the community to encourage people to make the decision for organ donation before a crisis happens in their lives.

In January of 2009, the state of South Carolina created the South Carolina Organ and Tissue Donor Registry. This allows South Carolinians to register their legal consent to become organ or tissue donors and be listed on a statewide database before the situation may occur in their lives.

There are currently two ways to do this. An individual can register at any South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles office or on the website www.SCDMVonline.com when obtaining, renewing, or changing driver’s license/ID information or they can register on the official Registry web site www.Every11Minutes.org or the Donate Life South Carolina (DLSC) web site www.DonateLifeSC.org.

A new symbol has been created for the South Carolina driver’s license/ ID. Prior to January 2009, a red heart was placed on an individual’s driver’s license to signify his/her desire to be a donor. Now, if an individual joins the registry at the South Carolina department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV) a new donor logo will be placed on the driver’s license/ID. It is a red heart with the face of a clock around it with 11 minutes designated to represent the fact that every 11 minutes another person is added to the transplant waiting list.

Brenda has traveled the country telling her story, sharing with those who have had similar experiences and witnessing some of the miracles that happen every day as she meets those who have received organ transplants.

She says, “Wherever anybody will listen, I am willing to tell my story.” She is also a vocalist and often sings during her presentations.

A group of organ donor families met this past Wednesday, December 9, 2009, at the Palmetto Richland Children’s hospital sponsored by Life Point. This annual event is held to recognize those organ donors from the Midlands who have lost their lives in this and in past years. Each family has a special ornament representing his/her family member to place on the Christmas tree.

For more information, visit www.lifepointsc. org or call 1-800-462- 0755. The Midlands Chapter of the Life Point support group meets every second Thursday of the month at 164 Lott Circle in West Columbia from 7 pm to 9 pm.