MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The WVU Medicine Jon Michael Moore Trauma Center will recognize two patients and those who participated in the various stages of their care at the Eighth Annual Night of Recognition, which will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 5, at the Morgantown Event Center.
At the event, each patient’s story will be told, and those who participated in their care will be presented with a Cornerstone of Recovery Award. Approximately 85 awards will be presented.
This year’s patient honorees are Kevin Eckenrode of Carrolltown, Pa., who was injured in a boating accident, and Chad Kirtley of Jane Lew, who was injured in a motorcycle accident.
“This event is our feel-good event of the year. To see our patients go from life-threatening accidents to happy, thriving individuals is awe inspiring. Coupled with that, we get to see just a small portion of the many professionals who helped them along their way, which is also quite inspiring,” Alison Wilson, M.D., director of the Jon Michael Moore Trauma Center, said. “We all return to work with a renewed sense of pride and passion for the opportunity to help the next person who comes through our doors make the transition from trauma victim to trauma survivor.”
Patients recognized at previous Night of Recognition celebrations will also be in attendance. Information on those patients and those honored for participating in their care can be found at http://www.hsc.wvu.edu/night-of-recognition/previous-honorees.
Through sponsorship and ticket sales, proceeds from the Night of Recognition will provide crucial funds to the WVU School of Medicine’s Department of Surgery to help support the Trauma Center’s Injury Prevention Outreach Programs, which provide education to people of all ages.
The Jon Michael Moore Trauma Center, located at WVU Medicine’s J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital, was created in the 1980s with the assistance and support of the late U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd. It is named for Byrd’s grandson, who died as a result of an automobile crash. Each year, the Trauma Center treats more than 3,000 patients from all over West Virginia, as well as those from Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.
Attention reporters and editors: If you plan on covering the Night of Recognition, please confirm your attendance with Angela Jones-Knopf, manager of media relations, at 304-285-7259 in advance.