YOUNGSTOWN — The Mahoning County commissioners have changed county policy allowing sick leave for county employees donating an organ.

Audrey Tillis, county administrator, said organ donation is now added to the list of reasons a county employee can receive sick time.

The commissioners had earlier allowed the sheriff’s office to add organ donation to its sick leave policy. The policy enacted last week expanded it to all 1,498 county employees.

The issue arose when county employee Richelle Bahny, who works at the sanitary engineer’s office, approached the county commissioners about her desire to donate part of her liver to her sister.

“I approached Commissioner (David) Ditzler regarding such leave, and he immediately jumped right on finding out if Mahoning County had a policy regrading living donor leave,” she said in a presentation at last week’s county commissioners meeting.

“When it was found that we did not (have such a program), he wasted no time in getting in contact with our human resources department and getting this worked out,” Bahny said.

“I hope this policy will help others to be aware of the need of living organ donation and will alleviate some of the stress on someone that is trying to determine if this is something that they can do for others,” Bahny said.

She noted that most people are not aware of living organ donation. Instead, most people only think of the type of donation that takes place after the donor has died.

“I truly was not aware of such things until it became a part of my personal life,” she said. “The decision to become a living donor is not an easy one, and it comes with many stresses. One of them is taking the time away from your job,” she said.

One reassuring fact she learned is that her liver will regrow itself within six months of surgery.

During the surgery, doctors will remove 60 percent of the right lobe of Bahny’s liver.

According to the University of Utah, a donor’s liver will “work normally again within just a few months.” The university’s website says, “Like any surgery, the procedure does have some risks, but overall, living liver donation is safe.”

A person receives a complete evaluation that includes tests and screenings to make sure the donor is healthy enough to donate part of his or her liver. The transplant team performs psychosocial and medical tests to make sure the donor will be safe during surgery and that the donor will stay healthy after the donation.

Some of the testing includes blood tests, urine tests, imaging exams of the donor’s liver and cancer screening.

The surgery will be Oct. 19 in Virginia. She will remain at the hospital three to six days and then will come home about a week after that, Bahny said.

Bahny encourages everyone to sign up to be an organ donor and also to look into living organ donation.