A Waterloo man who saved and healed dozens through organ and tissue donation is being honored for National Donor Day.
Celebrated annually on Feb. 14, National Donor Day is an observance dedicated to spreading awareness and education about organ, eye and tissue donation.
Timothy “Tim” Petersen, a Navy veteran and owner of the Cajun food truck Swabby’s Kitchen, impacted
74 lives when he became a donor hero in 2021. Individuals in 27 states have been saved or healed by
Petersen’s gift of life.
A 46-year-old father of four received one of Tim’s kidneys. Tim’s bone and tissue grafts have improved
mobility and quality of life after spinal surgeries and fracture repairs. Tim’s pancreas was donated for
research and will help doctors better understand how to treat pancreatic cancer.
Petersen’s daughter Seraea Crandall said although Tim is missed dearly, his donation has helped the healing process for his family.
“Knowing he lives on, saving others even after death, has helped us grieve. He was already a hero to us
and now he is a hero to so many others,”
Currently, more than 300 people in Nebraska and 100,000 throughout the United States are waiting for a
lifesaving organ transplant.
In 2022, deceased organ donors in Nebraska made 236 lifesaving organ transplants possible. These donors also contributed to a record number of transplants being performed in the United States. For the first time in history, more than 42,800 organ transplants were performed in the country last year.
Additionally, 538 individuals in Nebraska donated tissues such as bone, skin and heart valves. Tissue grafts can prevent amputation, help people walk without pain, repair sports injuries and aid in reconstruction following breast cancer.
Anyone 16 or older can register as an organ and tissue donor. Age, health and lifestyle do not limit
an individual’s ability to register. Donor registration is available online anytime at LiveOnNebraska.org.
