BUCKHANNON, W.VA. – WVU Medicine St. Joseph’s Hospital recognized National Donate Life Month with a flag-raising and presentation for the Center for Organ Recovery and Education (CORE).
Prior to the flag-raising, a ceremony was held with speakers that included Jeremy Zeiders, donor family support coordinator for CORE, and Joseph Malcolm, donor recipient, who spoke about his organ donation journey.
Through commitment to donation, WVU Medicine St. Joseph’s Hospital had six tissue donors, healing up to 525 lives, and four cornea donors, giving sight to eight individuals, in 2022.
Nationally, approximately 100,000 people are waiting for an organ transplant, and at least 17 people will die each day without receiving the transplant they so desperately need. Someone is added to the national organ transplant list every 10 minutes, but registering to become an organ, tissue, and cornea donor takes less than one minute. One organ donor can save up to eight lives, and one tissue donor can help more than 75 people.
All major religions support donation as a final act of compassion and generosity. Anyone can be a potential organ donor regardless of age, race, or medical history. Donors can place the designation on their driver’s license or state identification card when they receive or renew their license or ID. You can also register at Registerme.org/WVUMedicine. For more information, visit CORE.org.