Gift of Life: Amanda Sabol turns Advocate after Organ Transplant

Amanda Sabol is a recent liver transplant recipient. Her story may be a testament to the life-changing power of an organ donation. The Baraboo woman is sharing her story for the first time and choosing to do it during National Donate Life Month. Amanda talks with David Grant at the local Civic Media radio station, MAX FM, for the second part of this important interview and why she’s now an advocate for giving the gift of life.    

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Listen to part two of David’s interview with Amanda here:

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Amanda reveals she never imagined there would be a day when she would be on the receiving end of an organ transplant. And like many of us, she signed the back of her driver’s license when she was 16 without any hesitation. 

“I just thought, I won’t need my organs anymore. Someone else should have them,” she recalls. “But then my own health declined and that simple act of generosity has become deeply personal.”

She was diagnosed with liver failure, and shortly afterwards, Amanda found herself med-flighted to UW Hospital in Madison. It’s when she entered the transplant program. 

“They teach you so much – about different types of donors, how livers can regenerate, even how hepatitis can now be reversed in donor organs.” Amanda says. “I also learned that living donations are possible, and that cost is never a barrier for those willing to give.”

When her call came, Amanda didn’t know the name, gender, or age of the person whose liver she would receive. 

“They keep deceased donors on life support until the organ is harvested, and even then, things can go wrong. Transport, COVID protocols, your own body—it’s never guaranteed,” she shares. “The only certainty is that someone, somewhere, made this selfless choice to give a stranger a second chance at life.”

It’s now three months post-transplant. Amanda recently attended her first donor appreciation event. 

“I didn’t expect to feel guilty walking into a room full of families who lost someone. And yet they were the ones comforting me. They reminded me – this is why we donate,” she explains. 

Amanda’s gratitude runs deep, but so does her drive to now educate others about organ donation.. 

“There’s still a lot of misinformation. People think recipients must have done something wrong to need a transplant,” Amanda says. “But I know there’ve been babies who needed livers before they could even crawl.”

She also emphasizes the way one decision ripples outward and how blood donations helped her survive even before her surgery. It’s when her husband started giving platelets in response. 

“Small acts like registering online or having a conversation with a loved one can save lives,” she explains. “It’s a heavy talk, especially with teenagers, but it’s important. That orange sticker isn’t just a symbol—it’s a promise. And in moments of crisis, it can bring clarity and peace.”

And while looking ahead, Amanda plans to write a letter to her donor’s family. Whether they choose to connect will be up to them. But for Amanda, every breath she takes is a reminder of their gift.

“I will never be more grateful for anything in my life,” she says. 

Related Features:

Second Chance: Amanda Sabol’s Emotional Organ Transplant Story, Part One

Become An Organ Donor and Save Lives