Organ donation advocates use HHH as a platform

Damian Jackson and Bonnie Bolin are linked by the work they do for the Southwest Transplant Alliance. But beyond STA’s mission, they’re now also linked by a Wichita Falls staple: the Hotter’N Hell Hundred.

Jackson completed the 100-mile race last year. But by the last stretch, he said he was questioning why he put himself through all the trouble. He realized he needed a purpose if he was going to complete the ride again.

“Hotter’N Hell I've been introduced to only via marketing but never participated before last year. So the mindset for me last year was just to enter something and have a sense of belonging. I joined, and I said 'I’m gonna do 100 miles.' Well, they give you eight hours to complete it, and then I realized very quickly, I had to have a purpose for what I was doing. That's what gets you through,” Jackson said.

Bolin won’t ride in the race. Instead, she has a booth at the concurrent expo at the MPEC. While she won’t share in the scorching heat Jackson endures, her inspiration for involvement has been crystal-clear since her son, Raylan, received a life-saving heart transplant at less than a year old.

“My husband and I sat there and watched Raylan struggle to survive. Very long days. He had a lot of very scary episodes that got him bumped up to the transplant list. He one day almost died in my arms,” Bolin said, adding “He received his heart on November 26, which was Thanksgiving day.”

Inspiration and information

Both Jackson and Bolin hope to bring exposure to STA and inspire others to get involved through their participation.

Bolin’s booth at the expo will share information about organ donation and who is eligible to become a donor.

Bolin said there are fewer restrictions than people think; things like old age, diabetes or previous cancer that people point to as reasons they would be ineligible actually are not disqualifying at all. She added that watching what her son experienced drives her to share the impact and importance of donation with others.

“So through that experience, after seeing Raylan who was dying of end-stage heart failure, it was the most horrific thing I’ve ever seen, just watching a child struggle like that. Struggle to breathe, gasping for air. I was so inspired by what donation did for us that I wanted to share what donation can do for others,” Bolin said.

Jackson said he found his inspiration, both to complete the race this year and spread awareness from STA, from donors as well.

A mile for every donor

“So for me this year, my purpose to make it through is to ride a mile for every donor that we’ve had since 2008,” Jackson said, adding “We’ve had 98 organ donors, and that’s a level of commitment that goes beyond me. So if I’m looking at this from a life-saving aspect, just to bring about awareness, that’s the basics, right? Why we do what we do, and can we make an impact? And there’s more than one way to create impact. It’s like the ripple effect in a body of water. So in my small way, that’s what I’ve chosen to do.”

For both Bolin and Jackson, the life-saving work of organizations like STA is a critical message to share. While Bolin takes a direct route, Jackson said he hopes to be able to inspire others through his actions.

He said he has three goals, starting with beating his finish time last year, followed by not falling.

“And the third goal is to impact at least one individual throughout that six-hour time frame,” Jackson said.

For more information about the Southwest Transplant Alliance, check out www.organ.org

This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Organ donation advocates use HHH as a platform