Our Inspiration
Will Lindberg is a paramedic and former member of the team at Pro EMS who sparked the company’s dedication to living donation. A chance run-in with a patient experiencing the pain of liver failure led Will to research transplants. He learned that he could donate a portion of his liver to give new life to someone on the transplant waiting list. As Will describes, “once I understood that, I thought to myself, ‘how do I even argue against doing something like that?’”
Will soon decided to be a non-directed (anonymous) donor. But with no clear resources to guide him, he had to chart his own path. After further research, he chose New York Presbyterian to perform his surgery due to their outstanding track record in liver transplantation. After a series of medical and psychological evaluations to ensure he was fit to be a donor, Will was cleared. An anonymous donor match was identified, and the recipient immediately traveled from North Carolina to New York for surgery. Although Will did not know at the time, the recipient was a two year-old boy. Will’s liver donation saved that little boy’s life.
Will’s full recovery from surgery took several weeks, but his liver regenerated and was back to full strength in less than four. Will felt this was a small price to pay to give a little boy a new lease on life.
Once Will’s story came out, his selfless example inspired the entire team at Pro EMS to launch EMS Gives Life to ensure that any first responder wishing to be a living donor receives the guidance, resources, and support they need at every step on their life-giving journey as easy.
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