Mayo Clinic doctor stresses the importance of being an organ donor

Mayo Clinic says 107,000 Americans are on the waiting list for an organ transplant.

The goal new on daybreak.

According to mayo clinic, more than 107 thousand americans are on the waiting list for an organ transplant.

And 20 people die every day while waiting.

Kimt news 3's madelyne watkins sat down with a mayo clinic doctor who knows first hand the importance of becoming a donor.

She joins us live with his story.

Good morning, madelyne./// brooke and tyler.

A doctor here at mayo clinic who has spent 30 years of his life treating patients became the patient himself.

He tell me he owes it all to his faith, organ donation and mayo clinic.

Doctor peter smars was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and was told no one with this lives beyond two years.

He was immediately put on the transplant waiting list through mayo clinic in rochester for a new lung.

Eight months later... he was on the jacksonville waiting list where he received the life changing call.

He and his wife hopped on the plane to florida and doctor smars got a brand new lung from doctor ian makey.

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"*key) he tells me because this one person was an organ donor... his life was saved.

"i cannot express the gratitude that i have in words.

To sign up as a donor, i think the more we can encourage people to do that, the better it is because it is literally life giving to us that needs it."

Tomorrow... the plummer building here in downtown rochester will be lit up in blue and green for national blue and green day.

It's a day to encourage people to wear those colors and bring awareness to the need for organ donation.

Live in rochester.

Madelyne watkins kimt news 3.

Thank you madelyne.

Mayo clinic recently launched an online campaign for national donate life month ?

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"* whic april ?

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"* with the goal of registering 600 more people to be organ donors.

We have the link on our website kimt dot com if you would like