PARIS, Ill. (WTWO/WAWV) — April is National Donate Life Month, where places like Horizon Health look to bring awareness to organ, eye, and tissue donation.
Wednesday morning, a program was held at the hospital, with Gift of Life, for those affected by donations to share their stories.
Franci Rubin, Quality Coordinator at Horizon Health, said her brother’s life was saved by an organ donor.
“Four and a half years ago, my brother was the recipient of a heart donor”, Rubin said. “He is doing amazing and so today we got to celebrate him and thank those families that chose to be a donor, so that people like him could continue on.”
For families on the other side of the donation, it is both one of the toughest moments of their lives and through donation, something that helps them with the tough times that come after you lose a loved one.
Karlee McCollum, Patient Access Manager at Horizon Health, said she lost her stepmom just a few years ago.
“My stepmom, we lost her in 2018”, McCollum said. “She was an organ donor. She had donated all the organs she was able to, at the time, and we worked with the Gift of Hope. They really helped us through the process and the grieving stages as well.”
McCollum said seeing the people saved by her stepmom is moving.
“It’s amazing”, McCollum said. “I had one of the recipients in my wedding, in honor of my stepmom, then we met the other recipient. It’s great to see that they are able to live on.”
Rachel Kelley, Chief Nursing Officer at Horizon Health, said every time someone dies and becomes an organ donor, Horizon Health and Gift of Hope honor them in a special way.
“It is an informational code that is announced through the facility, to let everyone know that we have a donor”, Kelley said. “They are giving the gift of eyes, bones, and tissue at this facility. This “Code Hero” allows us to celebrate those donors that are giving the gift of life to someone else.”
If you are not a registered organ donor and want to become one, you can do that at the BMV when applying for, or renewing, your driver’s license or online here.
