Porter Regional Hospital Celebrates Life and the Donors who Make it Happen

April is National Donate Life Month, and that means that throughout the month activities will be taking place all over the country that encourage people to become registered organ donors. The month was instituted by Donate Life America, a nonprofit alliance of organizations that have a goal of saving lives by increasing organ, eye, and tissue donations.

Porter Regional Hospital took part in Donate Life Month with their annual Flag Raising Ceremony at their Valparaiso Campus. The organization is an avid supporter of organ donations and the ceremony served as a way to spread awareness to the community.

Porter staff, transplant recipients, and family members of donors gathered outside to watch the symbolic flag being raised. Porter CEO Steve Lunn read the Donate Life Proclamation and spoke of the importance of becoming an organ donor.

"There is an urgent need for organ, tissue, and cornea donation in Indiana and throughout the United States and therefore a need to promote a greater understanding about the life-saving benefits of donation and transplantation," Lunn said.

Lunn proceeded to proclaim April 8, 2015 as Donor Awareness Day and made a call to action for all who worked at the hospital and who lived in the surrounding community to become an organ donor. 

"You have to look at the statistics, how much help it really provides to people all across the United States. It's one of the times you can step forward as an individual and find out what you can really do to help people," Lunn said. 

In America there are over 123,000 people who are in need of an organ transplant. Of that number, 1,500 are from right here in Indiana and the number is on the rise. Every 10 minutes another name is added to the donor list and we lose 21 people each day because no organs were available for them. Kathleen Lewis is a lucky woman as she got her organ transplant in time.

"I had kidney issues and in March of 2007 I got my transplant. Things have been absolutely wonderful since then," Lewis said. "I have met some unique people and there is such a huge community that serves the transplant recipients. You're a part of something bigger than yourself."

Marti Cooper, Community Relations Coordinator for the Indiana Donor Network was at the flag raising with others from the organization. She was elated that she was able to be part of a cause that was literally life changing.

"With it being springtime, a time of renewed hope, it seemed like an appropriate time to honor those who are donors and those who helped save another life with their donation," Cooper said. "To have the ability to be the link between people who need help and people who can help is an honor. I know I speak on behalf of all of our staff when I say this."

For more information about becoming a donor, visit www.donatelife.net