(Beaver Dam) A Beaver Dam woman is competing in a statewide Dancing With The Stars-themed fundraiser this weekend hoping to raise money, and awareness, for organ donations. Dawn Lyons-Wood lost her daughter Emily Lyons in a snowmobiling accident five years ago at the age of 19. Dawn notes that Emily was an organ, tissue and cornea donor who was able to save the lives of six people, give sight to two others, and improve the lives of 60 individuals in 22 states. Dawn is a member of the Beaver Dam Lions Club and an active volunteer for the Lions Eye Bank of Wisconsin.
“Emily was a cornea donor,” Dawn says, “and the day of her accident she was actually supposed to be inducted into the Lion’s Eye Bank in La Crosse, so I was fulfilling her commitment and it has become a major part of my life.”
Dawn is one of eight contestants in the National Kidney Foundation of Wisconsin’s Spotlight On Life Gala this Saturday in Waukesha, and she has been busy practicing the Cha-Cha.
“We are paired with professionals from the Fred Astaire Dance Studio and have practices as often as we can,” she says, “it is completely outside my comfort zone and probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life. I do not have any [dancing] experience, I was not an athlete, I never proclaimed to be very coordinated so this is all a new adventure to me.”
Dawn says all the work is worth it to raise awareness for such an important cause.
“The number of people waiting for organ transplants, the need for live donors for kidneys is on the rise,” she notes, “for me personally it is so important for everybody to know how important it is to be an organ donor and if you’re not signed up, sign up, and if your family does not know your wishes make sure everybody is informed.”
Votes cost one dollar each and can be cast right now or anytime during Saturday’s fundraising competition, which – if you cannot attend in person — will be streamed live on YouTube and Facebook; you’ll find links through www.kidneywi.org. The top vote-getter will be named the People’s Choice Winner. Dawn Lyons-Wood is competing against donation ambassadors from Milwaukee, Madison, Mukwonago and Pardeeville.
For more information go to:
https://e.givesmart.com/s/:T497DNWA1ri/e/fmy/
Listen to our conversation with Dawn here:
Watch Dawn’s video from the Lion’s Eye Bank Wisconsin website:
