Written by Caroline Ward and Leigh Farmer
One organ, eye, or tissue donor can save up to eight lives. Earlier this month, the Virginia Commonwealth University Chapter Student Organ Donation Advocate (SODA) and the VCU Health Hume-Lee Transplant Center held a “Check the Box” event aimed at identifying critical needs for organ, eye and tissue donors. The event not only educated participants about the importance of donating, but also led to 41 people registering their intention to save lives. Simply put, this chosen legacy could allow him to save more than 320 lives.
National Donation Life Monthis celebrated every April and aims to encourage people to register as organ, eye and tissue donors and to celebrate those whose lives have been saved with the gift of donation. Now is the time for organizations across the country to step up their efforts to spread awareness about the life-changing impact of giving and how easy it is to register.
Donate Life Month not only brings transplants to the forefront, but also the millions of recipients and their families in the United States, the donor families who said “yes” in times of grief, and the more than 170 million It is also a celebration of people's lives and heritage. People who have registered their commitment to help others at the end of their lives by becoming donors.
“The decision to register as a donor may seem like a small thing, but its impact is enormous,” explained Shelley Newman, MSHA, associate director of the Hume-Lee Transplant Center. “This event is critical not only in increasing the number of registered donors, but also in communicating to our community the great need for donors who will one day provide someone with a second chance at life.”
A highlight of the April 16 event was the participation of two VCU faculty members who are living kidney donors.Becky Durfee, MS, Vice Chair Faculty of Arts and Sciences Department of Statistical Science and Operations ResearchDr. Jeff Green, Faculty of Psychologyshared a unique and very personal story about giving.
In early 2024, Durfee donated his kidney to his friend's brother, James Wood. James Wood was a military veteran who was told he would die if he waited on the state's transplant list. Knowing that Wood was certain to die without a kidney within the next few years, Durfee felt called to donate.
“I'll be happy to shout my story from the rooftops if it encourages more people to donate,” Durfee said. “James and I agree: If we can help even one person by sharing our experiences, it will be worth it.”
VCU Health Hume-Lee Transplant Center team members discussed the organ donation process with VCU students and staff. (Enterprise Marketing and Communications)
Green also made a donation in early 2024. He said donating a kidney was a no-brainer, but personally very fulfilling, and said he was already considering donating part of his liver to save yet another life.
Green's living kidney donation is altruistic, meaning he does not know the recipient. Jeff hopes that once he recovers, he can one day meet his recipient and see his gift of life in action and making a difference.
Durfee and Greene's unique perspectives and personal testimonies added a deeply moving element to the discussion. They shared their motivations, the impact their decisions had on their lives and the lives of their recipients, and the overall positive outcomes that resulted from their choice to become living donors. Such first-hand accounts are invaluable in elucidating the process and outcomes of living donation.
VCU SODA is proud to partner with the Hume-Lee Transplant Center. Hume-Lee Transplant Center ranks 17th in the United States for annual transplants. Unified network for organ sharing.
Ria Mohan, a VCU student and founder of VCU SODA, is passionate about the philosophy and message of Donate Life because her aunt worked in medicine to find a kidney donor.
“Transplants truly save entire communities and impact the lives of everyone involved, recipient and donor. It opens a well of compassion and compels us to recognize and appreciate the humanity that moves medicine forward.” It opens the eyes of people,” Mohan said.
The success of this event was marked not only by the number of new registrations, but also by the increased awareness of organ donation. More than 100,000 people are currently on waiting lists for organ transplants in the United States, a statistic that highlights the critical shortage of registered donors. Each registration is a ray of hope for thousands of people waiting for a life-saving transplant.
“It's no coincidence to me that when you register as an organ donor, your heart gets added to your driver's license,” said Dr. David Bruno, interim chair of the Hume-Lee Transplant Center. “That donation is truly a symbol of love.”
Mr Hume Lee plans to continue his work, spreading the word and encouraging more people to consider the legacy they can leave behind through organ donation. The joint efforts of students, medical professionals, and educators during National Donate Life Month play a critical role in increasing the number of potential donors, and each new registration adds to the number of people waiting for a transplant. It brings hope to patients and their families.
