WVU Medicine celebrates National Donate Life Month

Attention reporters and editors: If you are interested in covering the flag raising ceremony at 11 a.m. on Thursday at J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital, please contact Heather Bonecutter, WVU Medicine communications specialist, at heather.bonecutter@wvumedicine.org in advance.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – WVU Medicine is pleased to join the Center for Organ Recovery and Education (CORE) to raise awareness about organ, tissue, and cornea donation and to inspire everyone to register to be an organ donor during Donate Life Month. 

“As a health system, we are uniquely positioned to not only tend to the health of our patients, but to inspire our community to be mindful of wellness in all aspects of life,” Michael Shullo, Pharm.D., WVU Medicine Transplant Alliance vice president, said. “The more people we can inspire to become organ donors, the better we can serve our mission to be advocates for the well-being of our entire community.”

Nationally, more than 100,000 people are waiting for an organ transplant, including 2,500 people 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.

“National Donate Life Month is a time when we recognize the power of organ, tissue, and cornea donation to save and heal lives; affirm the partnerships between CORE and the hospitals we serve throughout West Virginia and western Pennsylvania that made possible nearly 900 life-saving organ transplants in 2022; and mobilize and inspire our local communities to register as donors,” Susan Stuart, president and CEO of CORE, said. “Most importantly though, National Donate Life Month is a time when we honor the generous donors and donor families whose decision to give the gift of life has provided hope and healing to so many in our community.” 

Some important facts about organ, tissue, and cornea donation:

• Anyone can be a potential donor regardless of age, race, or medical history.
• With more than 90,000 people across the nation awaiting a kidney, it is the organ in greatest demand, followed by liver, heart, and lungs.
• Because conditions such as diabetes and hypertension are often more prevalent in the multicultural community, these individuals make up more than 50 percent of those on the national organ transplant list. 

WVU Medicine J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital will host a CORE flag raising on April 6 and a private Donor Wall ceremony in early May.

Individuals are encouraged to talk with family members and friends about registering as a donor. One organ donor can save up to eight lives, and a tissue donor can improve the lives of more than 100 others. To sign up, visit RegisterMe.org/WVUMedicine.

For more information on the WVU Medicine Transplant Alliance, visit WVUMedicine.org/Transplant.