Extraordinary People:

Diane Royster

Diane Royster
Allegheny County

As an African-American woman once in need of a liver transplant, I was concerned about my chances of actually getting a new organ. I always thought organ transplantation was based on the amount of money you had or the color of your skin. I knew nothing about the process.

My perception changed in 1988, when I was diagnosed with sarcocidosis, a disease that causes liver failure. I was very ill, constantly feeling run down and sluggish, always battling flu-like symptoms. It was quite a change from my normal active lifestyle.

When I was placed on the organ transplant waiting list in 1989, my doctor explained that the national waiting list is based on need, not race, wealth or social standing. Still skeptical, I thought, "Who is going to help me, an African-American woman?" My misconceptions were proven wrong one Sunday morning, while I was in the hospital for tests. My doctor came in and told me a match had been found. My transplant surgery was on August 21, 1989 at UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh. I was 50 years old.

My donor, a man from Iowa, told his family that he wanted to be an organ donor. His decision saved my life. Every year, on the anniversary of my transplant, I pray for his family and I give thanks that they gave me a chance to live.

Today, I’ll do everything I can to tell people about organ donation. I wear my green donor bracelet and even have the "Organ Donor" license plate on my car. I want people to know what an important cause this is. After my surgery, I began speaking to people at my church and at my work, educating them about organ transplantation. When I worked at UPMC Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, I talked to my colleagues about the organ transplant list while Governor Casey was undergoing his transplant in 1993. They had the same thoughts about organ transplantation and the waiting list as I did – that it’s only for the rich and famous – but I explained that it’s for people who need it most, regardless of race, status, or class. While on the list, it doesn’t matter if you’re the Governor or a hospital employee.

Seventeen years after my transplant, at age 67, I am enjoying life more than ever. My husband and I have been married for 51 years, and we have three sons and three grandsons. I am a very active grandmother, and I volunteer with several organizations, including CORE (the Center for Organ Recovery Education). Through CORE, I am able to educate people about the facts on organ and tissue donation while dispelling myths that many have about becoming a donor. Through my own experience, I’m able to tell the truth about organ donation -- that it really is the greatest gift you can give someone.

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