NBA Mourning's illness helps create donation awareness

A little celebrity can go a long way in shedding light on life-and-death issues.
By KEVIN B. BLACKISTONE
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
Here's the bad news: In the week since Alonzo Mourning announced that he was retiring from basketball because he needs a kidney transplant, 119 people in this country in need of an organ transplant have died.
Here's the good news: In the week since Mourning announced that he was retiring from basketball because he needs a kidney transplant, countless more than 119 people in this country have inquired about donating an organ, and even more are aware for the first time, or reminded, of the need of recipients and the process to help them.
A little celebrity goes a long way in shedding needed light on such life-and-death issues. It always happens that way. And in the big picture, that's welcomed.
We don't hear about most of the 60,000 people in this country who are on the list that Mourning just joined, the organ-waiting list.
Even this time of year, which is supposed to be about giving, we rarely think about giving a pancreas, a lung, a heart or a liver should we lose our life, which is the only way to give one of those crucial organs (although we can live despite giving a partial liver).
Most people don't even think about giving blood, which is so easy, let alone a kidney, which we can do alive, to someone so that they can make it to the next holiday season and beyond.
At least we're talking about it now, just like we did when NBA player Greg Ostertag gave a kidney to his sister. And when baseball legend Mickey Mantle got a liver from a dying person in Temple. And when Walter Payton was in need of a liver and died without it.
That is the silver lining to the dark cloud of Mourning's misery: awareness. It almost assuredly will save his life.
Alonzo Mourning's predicament is in our conscience now. We just shouldn't forget that he isn't alone. Those who can't help him can help someone else.