The Rev. Bart Cochran leads a group gathered to commemorate Donate Life Month in prayer at Southwick Town Hall last week. (Photo by Hope E. Tremblay)
National Donate Life Month is being celebrated across the country throughout April, including right here in Westfield and Southwick.
Flags were raised to commemorate the month and honor the generous donations of life given in both communities.
In Southwick, a group of residents gathered at Town Hall to raise a flag and share stories.
For Susan Sanders, who helped organize the event, an organ donation saved her life, and she will never forget and hopes others will consider giving the gift of life.
“One donor has the power to save and enhance the lives of 50 people,” she said.
This year, Noble Hospital raised the Donate Life flag for the first time in honor of employees Joan Murphy and Linda Gallo.
Several years ago Gallo was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease. This causes kidney function to decline and eventually it becomes necessary to replace this function through dialysis or transplant. Gallo and Murphy have been friends and working together for close to 30 years. They were both happy to learn the donation could take place in September 2013. Now over six months later, Gallo and her donor Murphy are both feeling well.
Another Noble employee, Mary-Lou Keefe, received a double lung transplant from Pittsburg Medical Center. She was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension, a chronic lung disease in 2008. Since her 2011 transplant she’s been able to return to work, and enjoy the active lifestyle that wasn’t possible for her before.
“The smallest donation can make the biggest difference in someone’s life,” stated Keefe.
Noble Hospital Vice President of Community Development Allison Gearing-Kalill said that the hospital participates in the donation of organs and tissue regularly.
The hospital was recently awarded “Outstanding Support of Tissue Donation in 2012” by LifeChoice Donor Services. Noble Hospital received this award by achieving a 42 percent conversion rate, above the donation service area conversion rate of 32 percent.
This year, in addition to raising the Donate Life flag in April, Noble Hospital will also raise the flag when a donation is made, such as the one for Gallo.
Sanders said she looks forward to seeing the flag at the hospital.
“When you see the flag there, you know there’s been a miracle,” Sanders said.
According to donatelife.net, currently more than 110,000 men, women and children are awaiting organ transplants to save their lives. Thousands more are in need of tissue and cornea transplants to restore their mobility and sight.
