Thanks to donor, well known Kansas woman given second chance at life

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – What do you say to somebody who saved your life? Diana Schunn thinks about that on a regular basis, though she’ll by no means get the prospect.

“I might need to make them proud. I need them do know this present just isn’t taken as a right. It’s a blessing to have a second likelihood. They’ve given me life,” Schunn stated.

If her identify sounds acquainted, it’s as a result of you could have seen in her within the information through the years. Schunn has spent a lot of her life defending abused kids as a forensic nurse and now director of the Baby Advocacy Heart of Sedgwick County. This month she celebrates 15 years on the CAC.

However final 12 months her life got here to a halt with information she wasn’t ready to listen to. After years of battling a coronary heart situation referred to as Arrhythmogenic proper ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy or (ARVD/C), issues took a flip final summer time.

“After that I used to be admitted to the CCU the physician got here up and stated, ‘has anybody had the dialog with you a few coronary heart transplant?’ she recalled. And I used to be like, ‘no.’”

Schunn spent greater than a month in Kansas Metropolis on a coronary heart pump. Finally the information she and her household had waited for got here. The match was good. Diana stated she thinks in regards to the donor and their household on a regular basis.

“They’re grieving, and you’re asking in the event that they need to donae. I don’t take that flippantly,” Schunn stated as she fought again tears.”I simply take into consideration the variety of individuals they’ve helped. It’s overwhelming.”

She’s now again at work, main a corporation that helps 1000’s of abused kids yearly. Her hope is to at some point meet the household of her donor. However for now, she desires to share her story to hopefully encourage others to have conversations about changing into a donor.

“Even in my small world there’s a much bigger impression. I’m so grateful for that chance,” she stated.

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