Gift of Life Donor Program and Evangelical Community Hospital Promote Organ Donation to Help Save Lives

Each day, 17 people in the United States die while waiting for a life-saving organ transplant. Evangelical Community Hospital is pleased to join the Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP) and Gift of Life Donor Program and organ procurement organizations throughout the country to inspire hope, advocacy and passion as part of a statewide campaign to promote organ and tissue donation. Gift of Life is encouraging individuals to register to become an organ, tissue, and cornea donor which is as easy as visiting donors1.org.

"Transplantation is one of the most significant advancements in the history of medicine, with 95% of Americans saying they support organ donation. Still, the need for organs and tissues is far greater than the number available," said Richard D. Hasz, President and CEO of Gift of Life. "Gift of Life’s mission includes educating our community about the powerful impact they can make by taking just 30 seconds to register as an organ, tissue, and cornea donor."

“As a community hospital, we are uniquely positioned to not only tend to the health of our patients, but to inspire our neighbors and friends to be mindful of wellness in all aspects of life,” said Kendra Aucker, President and CEO, Evangelical Community Hospital. “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.”

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 donors1.org.

Some important facts about organ, tissue and cornea donation:

• Anyone can be a potential donor regardless of age, race, or medical history.
• More than 5,000 children and adults in the region await life-saving organ transplants. Thousands of others could benefit from life-enhancing tissue transplants.
• Less than 50% of registered drivers in Pennsylvania have designated themselves as organ and tissue donors.
• With more than 95,000 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.

About Gift of Life Donor Program

Gift of Life Donor Program is the non-profit, federally designated organ procurement organization, working with 129 acute care hospitals and 14 transplant centers to serve 11.3 million people in the eastern half of Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware. Thanks to its compassionate community, for the past 13 years, Gift of Life has coordinated the most organ donors in the United States. Its annual donation rate, 55 organ donors-per-million-population, ranks among the highest in the world. Since 1974, Gift of Life has coordinated more than 52,500 life-saving organs for transplant, and approximately 1.75 million tissue transplants have resulted from the generosity of donors and their families. One organ donor can save the lives of up to eight people, and a tissue donor can improve the lives of more than 100 others. For more information or to register, visit donors1.org.