By the time Rocket Mortgage team member John Hatch went to see his doctor, he was told it may already be too late.
John was completely shocked to learn he had end-stage liver failure. “I was in denial that I could possibly be sick,” he said. As the months wore on, the reality of his diagnosis set in. John lost 85 lbs and became unable to walk or even stand without assistance. He began the painful process of saying goodbye to his family.
John had learned that he was one of 4.5 million Americans suffering from liver disease – the same disease that took the life of his grandmother when she was just 49 years old. Doctors told him his only chance for survival was a liver transplant.
It seemed like a longshot. More than 120,000 people are on the list for life-saving transplants and 20 people die daily because the organ they need is not donated in time. John knew there was a strong possibility he would be in that group.
Miraculously, a match was found through Donate Life, a national nonprofit dedicated to healing lives through transplantation. “I don’t know who my donor was, but I do know she was a 60-year-old woman. She gave me a selfless gift that has given me my life back … six more years and counting.”
John received his liver transplant in 2015. After six weeks of rehab, he was able to get out of his wheelchair and into the gym. He has been exercising almost daily ever since, a feat that would have been impossible before. “I also would not have met my granddaughter without the transplant,” he said. “I’m much more aware and appreciative of all my blessings.” The experience quite literally gave him a new take on life, and he wanted to pay it forward.
Going All In to Spread Awareness
About a year after receiving his liver transplant, Hatch attended his first volunteer training meeting for Donate Life. Soon after, he began volunteering with two organizations in his area: Life Link and Life Alliance, which are branches of the national nonprofit.
Following his training, John began manning booths at local health fairs, marathons, hospitals and anywhere else there was a platform to spread awareness. Prior to the pandemic, John also spoke at several events to share his experience and educate audiences about the benefits of organ donation. He has continued telling his story during the pandemic, connecting with hospitals and educational institutions via Zoom. “It’s amazing how many families in this country have been or will be directly affected by organ transplantation at some point in their lives,” John said. “The more people that are educated on the process, the better off we’ll be.”
The Rock Family of Companies encourages team members to get out and volunteer or fundraise to make an impact in their communities. This includes offering team members unlimited volunteer time off for both in-person and virtual volunteer opportunities sponsored by hundreds of nonprofit partners. Additionally, team members receive eight hours of paid time off for 501c3 organizations outside the company that they wish to support. Since he began working here 18 months ago, John has taken advantage of these resources to spread awareness about organ donation.
John continues to use his volunteer time off to support the organization that saved his life. He is grateful to his donor for ‘being [my] miracle,’ as well as the doctors, nurses and his family who supported his journey along the way.
John’s incredible recovery and subsequent commitment to organ donation is an inspiration and an important reminder that we all have unique stories to tell. At the Rocket Community Fund, we are proud to provide a range of opportunities that allow our team members to support the causes they are most passionate about. It’s just one of the ways that we show how we’re all in for our communities.
