Peoria -- We've introduced you to a family who decided to donate their loved ones organs. We've shown you how a similar gift changed a local farmer ’s life.
Now, you meet the people who make the possibilities real as we see a second chance at life through the eyes of the surgeons.

It's not quite the drama we see on the small screen, but the outcomes are nothing short of miraculous.

Dr. Beverly Ketel started the transplant program at OSF Saint Francis 25 years ago.

Doctor Ketel says, "The children are the ones who mean the most."

Dr. Tim O’Connor is a 16 year transplant surgery veteran.
 
Doctor O’Connor tells us, "There is a certain amount of drama in it..."

Together they perform more than 50 transplants a year.

Doctor Ketel says, "The recipients, we make them very happy by what we do for them."

Saint Francis surgeons perform kidney and pancreas transplants.
The team also recovers organs to help patients across the u-s.
Kim thrush is saint Francis' liaison with Gift of Hope : a not for profit organ donor network. She helps families of potential donors, like the Charlton family of Manito, as they make the heart wrenching decision.

Kim Thrush says, "The thing that makes this job so rewarding is that people in their darkest time can think of somebody else and want to help so another family doesn't have to face what they are facing at that moment."

It's a choice doctors say can save the lives of up to seven people.
The surgeons also work with living kidney donors, like Paul Strack and his son. Family members and friends who step forward to help save lives.

Doctor O’Connor says, "I wish that we could get a kidney for everybody right away. Unfortunately that doesn't always happen."

While doctors say they have seen more people willing to donate, it's still not enough to meet the demand. Some kidney patients wait for years to find a match.

Doctor Ketel tells us, "The number of donors has not anywhere near kept up with the number of people who want and need transplants."

But once a donor is found, the process moves at a rapid pace. A network of people, working countless hours to complete each and every transplant.

Doctor O’Connor says, "It may be 4, 6, 8 as long as 24 or more hours for testing to be completed and to identify who is going to be the best recipient."

While these doctors don't get to choose who receives each organ, they do see how their actions change lives.

Doctor Ketel explains, "When you give them a transplant, after a few weeks it's like a light comes on."

 Doctor Ketel also encourages you to speak with your family about organ donation. She says when a family knows their loved ones wishes, it gives peace of mind to everyone involved. You can find more information about Gift of Hope here .
Join us Thursday night as we wrap up our series with Katelyn; a little girl with one big story to tell.