Montefiore Health System honored organ donors and recognized people who have received the gift of life, during a National Donate Life Month event on April 18 at its Moses campus on 210th Street in Norwood.

 

During a flag raising ceremony, which recognized those touched by donation and transplantation, the Montefiore team highlighted the ongoing need for organ donors, and people who have been affected by organ donation shared their personal stories.

 

Assemblywoman Yudelka Tapia (A.D. 86) was in attendance and later said of the event, “Last Friday, I joined Montefiore to honor organ donation, a cause personal to my family [and] 8,000 New Yorkers are waiting. In The Bronx, only 31% are registered. I sponsor [bill] A7011 to expand donor registration. This isn’t just policy, it’s personal. Every donor is a chance to save a life.”

According to Montefiore, there are around 8,000 New Yorkers currently on the national transplant waiting list and roughly 400 New Yorkers die annually waiting for a transplant.

 

In addition to living each day with the knowlege that they may die if they do not receive a vital organ, those living with cystic fibrosis, for example, may live their daily lives struggling with ongoing breathing difficulties while they await a new lung(s).

The special event highlighted the selfless gift of life that donors have provided, and educated the community on how to become an organ donor.

 

To aid understanding, and help dispell some of the common myths around organ donation, read some of our previous coverage on this topic here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.