Dr. Mason Sommers is following his new heart in promoting Donate Life Awareness Month, which strives to increase the public’s awareness of the need for more and more organ and tissue donors.

The Donate Life Run/Walk attracts thousands of donors, donees and their families. (photo courtesy of OneLegacy)

The heart transplant recipient on Monday garnered a city of West Hollywood proclamation promoting the initiative on behalf of OneLegacy, a regional organization for Donate Life America.

“Statistically, for every individual who is an organ donor, up to eight lives can be saved by primary organs, and then up to fifty or so lives may be enhanced with much needed organ tissues,” Sommers said.

He knows this first-hand, having received a new heart three years ago from a 23-year-old man who died in an unfortunate accident. While tragic, the accident had a silver lining in that the individual was an organ donor.

Sommers had been a cardiac patient since the age of 16, when a “sudden death episode” occurred. Another followed at age 20, but he persevered until he collapsed in November 2009 at age 53.

In the hospital, the Beverly Hills psychologist initially had problems with his liver, kidneys, heart and lungs. While most of the organs became functional again, Sommers remained on a life-sustaining heart pump through April 2010.

That month, he became healthy enough for a transplant, and Donate Life found a donor that matched his blood type, heart size and antibodies, among other criteria. Soon after, Sommers received what he now calls his “rock star heart,” which has significantly improved his health. He said he now lives a better, more efficient life, and people are often surprised to hear that he is a transplant recipient.

Prior to the operation, Sommers took 18 different medications; he is now down to two anti-rejection pills. Though there are certain compromises he has made and issues that arise, none of that is comparable to having his life, he said.

“It allowed me to continue my life — to be a psychologist, a teacher, a father, a partner and an uncle and great-uncle, and hopefully one day a grandparent,” Sommers added.

While he would have liked to show his gratitude to the donor’s family, the family opted to remain anonymous — perhaps because they were still grieving. As a result, Sommers decided to get involved with OneLegacy.

As a volunteer and ambassador for the organization, he frequently contacts local city officials and other organizations to request their participation in Donate Life Awareness Month. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has agreed to honor the month, and Sommers is in the process of reaching out to the Los Angeles City Council.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity,” he said. “It’s essential.”

The idea is to persuade residents to sign up as an organ donor when they renew their driver’s licenses. They can also register as an organ donor at www.donatelifecalifornia.org.

West Hollywood Councilwoman Abbe Land said the program is “very important,” as the waiting lists are long and the demand is high. She said one of her relatives has received an organ transplant.

“When someone is able to donate, it is kind of a way of continuing life, if you would,” Land said, adding that it can be a hard, but selfless, thing to do. “I think it’s a responsible thing to do.”

Sommers said it is crucial to increase the numbers of donors because very few of the people who register — less than 1 percent — eventually become donors. He said transplants can depend on the donor’s cause of death and whether the organs could be procured.

“Ultimately, it saves lives,” Sommers said. “I like to think of organ donation as the ultimate recycling.”

Currently, there are 116,000 individuals waiting for organ or tissue transplants nationwide; in California, that figure is approximately 27,000, he said. In the greater Los Angeles area, 7,900 people are on transplant waiting lists, Sommers said.

He said there are some misconceptions about being a donor. Sommers said that in some cases, people are worried that donating their organs is against their religion.

“Even in the most conservative religion, a very high order is the preservation of life and the creation of life,” he said. “Organ donation does that.”

Being a donor can certainly make a difference in the lives of others, as Sommers can attest. Sometimes, though, it can also be to the benefit of the family of the donor, as it serves as a reminder that the person’s legacy lives on.

The Los Angeles resident referenced a colleague who received a transplant. The donor benefitted several people, and every year, they meet and raise money to benefit others in the community in his name, Sommers said.

He said recipients feel an obligation to live well. Not only did they receive an organ from someone who passed away, they also received a transplant that could have gone to another ill individual, Sommers said.

“It’s an amazing gift,” he said. “To be connected with the organization that helped to facilitate my life, this is my way of giving back. If I knew the family, I would want to give it to them directly if I could.”

Sommers said nearly 10 million Californians have declared to be organ or tissue donors, and some are live donors, who offer kidneys or parts of their liver, which is a regenerative organ, to those in need.

“I am so thankful to everyone who has put the pink dot on their driver’s license,” he said. “This is so much bigger than anything we understand. It’s bigger than science. It’s bigger than medicine. It’s truly a spiritual and miraculous experience. It’s a miracle people get to experience and participate in.”

Sommers encouraged people to attend the Donate Life Run/Life at Cal State, Fullerton, on April 27.

For information, visit www.donatelifecalifornia.org.