TROY, Ala. (TROJANVISION) — In honor of April being National Donate Life Month, TROY’s School of Nursing and the College of Health and Human Services held an event to educate students, faculty, and staff about the importance of donating organs.

“To inform people about organ donation and how they can actually register to become an organ donor later if they decide to,” explained Art and Design Lecturer and organ donor Dr. Kelly Berwager.

During the event, Berwager talked about her experience as a living kidney donor.

“I felt led to give a kidney to a friend who was in need of a kidney,” Berwager explained. “I ultimately was not a donor for her. I was not a match, but I went forward in the process, which was a few more months of testing. Finally was approved to give to a stranger.”

Berwager says when God puts something on your heart, you have no choice but to see it through.

“I felt like the Lord was telling me to do it and I just kind of followed His direction,” Berwager told TrojanVision. “I’d never thought about it before.”

There are two ways to become an organ donor. One is going online at legacyofhope.org. The other option is to register at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) while getting your driver’s license.

Donations are accepted in two forms: deceased or living. To learn more about National Donate Life Month, click here. For more information about the donating process in Alabama, click here.