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WEST MONROE, LA. (KTVE/KARD) — National Donor Day is observed every year on February 14 and the day aims to bring awareness to the life-saving benefits of organ, eye, and tissue donation. In Louisiana alone, there are almost two thousand people waiting on a transplant, and one donor could save eight lives with their organ donations.

The Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency is hosting its annual Krewe de Life ball on February 18, 2023. This year, the king of the ball is Shanderic Owens who we spoke to about his own experience with organ donation that came 6 years ago when he donated over half of his liver to his sister in a life saving operation.

“It’s a challenging experience to see somebody that you love and care for relying on strangers when it can easily be somebody that you can help. That is something that should be discussed the over the dinner table. You never know that you’ll be in that situation…. Just knowing that somebody else’s life can go on by giving up a part of yourself.”

Downs now hopes that his story can help educate people about the importance of organ donation and encourage them to become registered organ donors.