Spread Some Love this Valentine's Day by Becoming an Organ Donor

Minneapolis, Minn. - Some say love can get you through anything, and for one Burnsville woman, that's true. She's hoping this Valentine's Day others will show how much they love someone by making one choice.

Gina Larson's story begins ten years ago when her husband wasn't feeling well. With a history of heart disease in her husband's family, Gina made a doctor's appointment for him.

"They did some tests and found that he had an irregular heart beat and dilated cardiomyopathy," says Gina.

The diagnosis meant Gina's 31-year-old husband would have to have a defibrillator implanted in his chest. He lived a fairly normal life for about eight years. Then, at age 39, the father of two took a turn for the worse.  Doctors at the University of Minnesota said Doug only had one option- a transplant.

Two weeks after he was put on the transplant list a donor heart became available.

"He called me at work and said, 'It's time,'" says Gina. "That was the two words he said to me, 'It's time.'"

Within days of his surgery Doug was on the treadmill, and less than a week later Doug was home.

"I get to wake up and see my wife," Doug says.

With his new heart, Doug got to go back to his old job..

"You know, two years ago.I was at the point of not knowing whether I was going to live or survive, and I'm back to being a normal everyday person."

Doug wouldn't be that every day person if it wasn't for his donor and their family.

"Somebody made that choice to donate," Doug says. "I don't know anything about the family. All I know is that I was a younger male. I've written a letter and sent that about a year ago and sent that to the donor family."

No one in his family, including Doug, had signed up to be an organ donor before the transplant. Today Gina and Doug have both signed their drivers licenses, and encourage everyone to do the same. You can show your love for another person by being an organ donor