Washington Soldier Fights for Donor Awareness
Story by 1LT Keith Kosik, Photos by PFC Chris LaRue - Posted Oct, 2007
Loyalty. Duty. Respect. Selfless Service. Honor. Integrity. Personal Courage - these are the values that soldiers live by in today’s Army. One soldier in particular, SSG Mark Korf, has taken the value of selfless service above and beyond as he continues his mission to bring greater organ and tissue donor awareness to the Puget Sound.
SSG Korf speaks to area high school classes on behalf of the Living Legacy Foundation about the importance of organ and tissue donation, and raises money for community outreach and education programs through an annual event he organizes. 
The road to SSG Korf’s passion for organ donor awareness began in May 2004, while training with his National Guard unit in Germany. SSG Korf underwent emergency gall bladder removal surgery; a procedure that was not entirely successful. Two days later a second surgery was needed and more complications developed. SSG Korf fell into a coma and would not regain consciousness for ten days. Members of his unit returned home after a few days not knowing if they would ever see him alive again.
A Red Cross message was sent to SSG Korf’s parents and they were quickly flown to Germany to make the decision on whether or not to end life support. His girlfriend also flew over to assist in the decision and to offer her support. Fortunately, his condition improved and he began the arduous road to recovery. It was during his rehabilitation that he was diagnosed with the chronic liver disease, Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC). PSC is a disease that attacks the bile ducts, causing them to deteriorate. As the disease progresses it leads to cirrhosis of the liver. The only cure for this disease is a full liver transplant.
Instead of passively accepting the fate of the disease, SSG Korf bravely battled his nemesis. In addition to changing his eating and drinking habits, he began a fitness regimen that keeps him in better shape than most of the younger Soldiers in his unit. In 2005 he deployed with his unit to Abu Ghraib, Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Unfortunately, complications arose associated with his disease and he was returned home and placed in medical hold for evaluation. A loyal Soldier not wanting to be discharged, he began training for, and completed, the Seattle Marathon in 2006 while in medical hold status. He also conducted his first fundraiser to raise money for organ and tissue donation awareness and raised $3219. Earlier this year he was deemed fit for duty and rejoined his unit soon after they returned home.
SSG Korf spoke to more than 2000 high school students around the greater Seattle area last year and has continued this year, already speaking at two schools this school year. Later this month he will be speaking at a school wide assembly at Eastlake High School in Sammamish to an audience of over 1200 students in one day! He is also training for the Seattle marathon in November in conjunction with his annual fundraiser and has acquired a number of autographed items that will be given away as part of the fundraiser. Those items include: a baseball signed by Mariner outfielder Ichiro Suzuki and a Seahawks jersey signed by Matt Hasselbeck. For more information visit www.firstgiving.com/markkorf. He hopes to raise more than $10,700 for organ and tissue donation awareness education programs.
As SSG Korf moves forward to battle the sickness that almost took his life, he continues to live the Army valuesand strives to help others as well.
For more information visit www.firstgiving.com/markkorf.
SSG Korf invites you to visit his personal website and learn more about his struggle for organ donor awareness. http://www.makopoetic.com |
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