Methodist Hospitals Holds Flag Raising Ceremony to Build Awareness for Donate Life Month 2016

Methodist Hospitals Holds Flag Raising Ceremony to Build Awareness for Donate Life Month 2016

Not many of us can say that we have spent 100 years preserving the community and improving the lives of its citizens. Even after all this time, Methodist Hospital is still going strong. April 2016 was Donate Life month so to raise awareness of a great need in the community, Methodist hosted a flag raising ceremony urging people to donate organs and tissue.

1400 Hoosiers are waiting in line every year for life saving organ transplants. More than 120,000 people are waiting countrywide.

Michael Henderson, the Donor Service Manager for Indiana Lions Eye Bank, said, “We need to increase awareness and let the public know of the urgent need. You can register online at donatelife@indiana.org or at your local BMV when you get your license renewed.”

Many people either opt out of donating their organs after they pass, or just neglect to tell their close friends and family their wishes. Henderson’s company enabled 30,000 cornea transplants last year and it still was not enough. If people knew how easy it was to register, it could save vision and lives.

Evelyn Morrison, the Marketing and Corporate Communications Manager for Methodist Hospital, said, “Every year we encourage employees to sign up. April is Donate Life Month; the flag raises awareness of that and is flown at the front of the hospital.”

Transplant recipients Kathy Sojka and Jason Lee attended the ceremony in order to share their stories. Jason Lee said that, “As blessed, lucky, and grateful as I am, there are many people who are still waiting for their hearts. People need to make the change to donor, and let those around them know their wishes.”

Being an organ or tissue donor is one of the last and greatest thing you can do with your life: it saves somebody else’s.