Officials from WVU Medicine and the Center for Organ Recovery and Education (CORE) will officially mark National Donate Life Month to raise awareness about organ, tissue, and cornea donation and to inspire everyone to register to be an organ donor at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 24, at St. Joseph’s Hospital’s Salvati Hall.
Guest speakers at the event will include Joe Malcomb, a transplant recipient, and Mickey Corley, who is currently undergoing the process of becoming a heart transplant candidate. Both men will share their experiences with the donation process and how it has changed their lives.
“Our close collaboration with CORE sets the gift of life in motion,” Skip Gjolberg, St. Joseph’s Hospital President, said. “That process starts with creating a culture of donation within our hospital and helping to raise awareness about the vital importance of registering as organ, tissue and cornea donors.”
Nationally, approximately 115,000 people are waiting for an organ transplant, including 2,500 in West Virginia and western Pennsylvania. At least 20 will die each day without receiving the transplant they so desperately need. Someone is added to the transplant waiting list every 10 minutes.
The event is free and open to the public. To learn more about donation or to sign up, go to core.org/register.