Vancouver City Council formally acclaims organ donation for National Donate Life Month
Most people know Sarah Fox for her role on the Vancouver City Council.
They might not know that 16 years ago, she donated a kidney to a close friend from college. It's a decision Fox didn't hesitate to make after medical testing showed she was an ideal donor candidate.
"I was the first one of her friends tested and ended up being a better match than if she had a twin sister," said Fox, 52. "That just told me that it was definitely a sign."
On Monday, the Vancouver City Council adopted a proclamation for National Donate Life Month, which encourages people to register as organ, eye and tissue donors.
Laura Ellsworth, executive director for Donate Life Northwest, met Fox when she was campaigning door to door for her first city council race in 2019. The two found they were both passionate advocates for organ donation.
According to national data from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, there about 103,000 people on the national transplant waiting list, and 86 percent are waiting for kidneys. Finding a living donor requires a lengthy search and many medical tests. About 13 people die each day waiting for an organ transplant.
"The city of Vancouver's proclamation normalizes a difficult conversation," Ellsworth said. "People are uncomfortable talking thinking about death. This is a need in our community, and we all have the potential to be a hero to somebody else."
At 17, Ellsworth was diagnosed with chronic kidney failure. She said she felt healthy but had 33 percent kidney function. Doctors told her she would need a kidney transplant or require dialysis to stay alive.
Ellsworth hesitated to search for a donor, but it became quickly apparent she would need a transplant to survive.
"It was slow and progressive, and they didn't know when I would need a kidney transplant," Ellsworth said. "I kind of went on with my life and sort of went into just major denial for about four and a half years. Then my kidneys did, in fact, decline to the point where then I really was very sick and couldn't ignore it anymore."
In 2000, Ellsworth's dad became her kidney donor; he died in 2010.
"It's very inspiring to be able to be immersed in this world where people are (donating) for other humans," Ellsworth said. "It's a nice thing to think about when it seems like the world is divided."
Donate Life Northwest has several resources for residents to become registered organ donors on its website.
This story was made possible by Community Funded Journalism, a project from The Columbian and the Local Media Foundation. Top donors include the Ed and Dollie Lynch Fund, Patricia, David and Jacob Nierenberg, Connie and Lee Kearney, Steve and Jan Oliva, The Cowlitz Tribal Foundation and the Mason E. Nolan Charitable Fund. The Columbian controls all content. For more information, visit columbian.com/cfj.
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This story was originally published April 17, 2026 at 7:07 AM.