Simpson graduate inspires organ donation

By Emily A. Roush

For 1959 Simpson College graduate Tom Jorgensen, the miracle of life was not that he was given the gift of life through an organ transplant, it was that life itself is a miracle.

Jorgensen, a retired teacher and coach from Ames, passed away this fall just two weeks shy of his 68th birthday, but it wasn’t before he spent a great deal of his life spreading the word about the importance of life to his family and friends, students, athletes and strangers.

Why life was likely so precious to Jorgensen was because he was given more than one chance to live it. In 1989, Jorgensen had a liver transplant and again this February he received a living donor kidney.

After his first transplant, Jorgensen became an advocate for organ donation and spent a great deal of time volunteering for the Iowa Donor Network. In 1993 until his death he served on the board for the Iowa Donor Network. It was the CEO of the organization, Suzanne Conrad, who gave Jorgensen her kidney when no one in his family was a match.

"It was the right thing to do," said Conrad, who said she had in-depth conversations with her family about the procedure before getting on the operating table.

As an advocate for life, Jorgensen spoke to schools and organizations whenever he had the chance. Conrad said he was an incredible volunteer and model for the organ donor organization.

"He was very sick, but after his transplant he could return to work and get on with his life," she said. "He epitomizes what we are all working for, which is to restore health and happiness."

His family says wherever he would go, Jorgensen would hand out buttons exclaiming "Life is a Gift, Pass it On," always with a smile on his face.

"The miracle is not that he was a transplant recipient, the miracle is really life," said Jorgensen’s daughter, Julie Jorgensen of West Des Moines.

It was a message she said her father shared all the time.

Tom, whose brother Dick and sister Mary Ann also graduated from Simpson, was a sociology, government and history teacher in Ames since 1967. He was a physical education major at Simpson and he coached football, basketball and girls track for the Ames schools.

"He was definitely a role model, not only for me and my sister, but for the students he taught," said Julie, who is a development manager for the Iowa Donor Network. "He had a way of making a connection with youth."

Tom also loved music and would play the piano at weddings and conferences. He liked to incorporate music into his presentations. At Simpson he was a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, in addition to Alpha Tau Omega.

Tom felt the constant need to give to the community.

"He was an incredibly giving person," said Conrad.

Residents of Ames, where he lived with his wife Jane, also felt the need to give back to Tom when he was in need. The community raised $50,000 for his first transplant to cover medical expenses for the transplant and for years to come to cover routine follow-ups and tests that were not covered by insurance. Tom’s kidney transplant did not require as much expense because kidney transplants are well covered under Medicare, because they are considered more cost-effective than maintaining dialysis.

Tom’s family was also supportive. His wife spent more than four months in 1989 at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., after his transplant. Tom’s other daughter, Becky Eberhart, who was a junior in high school at the time, also spent a great deal of time there.

Tom dealt with death gracefully and in his last week of life, which was spent at Hospice, he spoke to nearly 200 visitors about living life to its fullest.

"I think he touched a lot of lives, even in the last week of his life," said Julie.

Although he is no longer alive, his message and enthusiasm is not lost to those at the Iowa Donor Network.

"His death has renewed our energy," said Julie. "He’s a constant reminder of the patients we serve."

"Having known him, I feel very enriched. He had a great outlook on life. It’s definitely a loss," said Conrad.

Upon his death, Tom donated his eyes so that someone in need could see the miracle of life as he did.

For more information on organ donation or to register to be a donor, visit the Iowa Donor Network Web site at www.IowaDonorNetwork.org.

Emily A. Roush is the news services manager/public relations specialist for Simpson College.


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Simpson graduate sees life as a miracle By Emily A. Roush For 1959 Simpson College graduate Tom Jorgensen, the miracle of life was not that he was given the gift of life through an organ transplant, it was that life itself is a miracle. Jorgensen, a retired teacher and coach from Ames, passed away this fall just two weeks shy of his 68th birthday, but it wasn’t before he spent a great deal of his life spreading the word about the importance of life to his family and friends, students, athletes and strangers. Why life was likely so precious to Jorgensen was because he was given more than one chance to live it. In 1989, Jorgensen had a liver transplant and again this February he received a living donor kidney. After his first transplant, Jorgensen became an advocate for organ donation and spent a great deal of time volunteering for the Iowa Donor Network. In 1993 until his death he served on the board for the Iowa Donor Network. It was the CEO of the organization, Suzanne Conrad, who gave Jorgensen her kidney when no one in his family was a match. "It was the right thing to do," said Conrad, who said she had in-depth conversations with her family about the procedure before getting on the operating table. As an advocate for life, Jorgensen spoke to schools and organizations whenever he had the chance. Conrad said he was an incredible volunteer and model for the organ donor organization. "He was very sick, but after his transplant he could return to work and get on with his life," she said. "He epitomizes what we are all working for, which is to restore health and happiness." His family says wherever he would go, Jorgensen would hand out buttons exclaiming "Life is a Gift, Pass it On," always with a smile on his face. "The miracle is not that he was a transplant recipient, the miracle is really life," said Jorgensen’s daughter, Julie Jorgensen of West Des Moines. It was a message she said her father shared all the time. Tom, whose brother Dick and sister Mary Ann also graduated from Simpson, was a sociology, government and history teacher in Ames since 1967. He was a physical education major at Simpson and he coached football, basketball and girls track for the Ames schools. "He was definitely a role model, not only for me and my sister, but for the students he taught," said Julie, who is a development manager for the Iowa Donor Network. "He had a way of making a connection with youth." Tom also loved music and would play the piano at weddings and conferences. He liked to incorporate music into his presentations. At Simpson he was a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, in addition to Alpha Tau Omega. Tom felt the constant need to give to the community. "He was an incredibly giving person," said Conrad. Residents of Ames, where he lived with his wife Jane, also felt the need to give back to Tom when he was in need. The community raised $50,000 for his first transplant to cover medical expenses for the transplant and for years to come to cover routine follow-ups and tests that were not covered by insurance. Tom’s kidney transplant did not require as much expense because kidney transplants are well covered under Medicare, because they are considered more cost-effective than maintaining dialysis. Tom’s family was also supportive. His wife spent more than four months in 1989 at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., after his transplant. Tom’s other daughter, Becky Eberhart, who was a junior in high school at the time, also spent a great deal of time there. Tom dealt with death gracefully and in his last week of life, which was spent at Hospice, he spoke to nearly 200 visitors about living life to its fullest. "I think he touched a lot of lives, even in the last week of his life," said Julie. Although he is no longer alive, his message and enthusiasm is not lost to those at the Iowa Donor Network. "His death has renewed our energy," said Julie. "He’s a constant reminder of the patients we serve." "Having known him, I feel very enriched. He had a great outlook on life. It’s definitely a loss," said Conrad. Upon his death, Tom donated his eyes so that someone in need could see the miracle of life as he did. For more information on organ donation or to register to be a donor, visit the Iowa Donor Network Web site at www.IowaDonorNetwork.org. Emily A. Roush is the news services manager/public relations specialist for Simpson College.
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