Jacksonville Memorial Hospital will soon have a new flag flying out front. JMH is hosting a Gift of Hope flag-raising ceremony this Tuesday, April 30th, to call attention to the importance of organ and tissue donation.
Donation Liaison with Memorial Health Systems and the Gift of Hope Teresa Cagle says the flag is a beacon of hope for families whose loved one has decided to honor the gift of organ and tissue donation.
According to Gift of Hope Organ and Tissue Donor Network, which serves Illinois and northwest Indiana, nearly 5,000 Illinoisans are currently waiting for an organ transplant.
Cagle says even though it is easy to register to be an organ and tissue donor, you should still have a conversation to make sure your wishes are known by those close to you once you’ve made that decision.
“I see it often where even if someone has registered themselves as an organ and tissue donor, the family is not aware of that. So anytime that you do go into the DMV, or that you register on our Gift of Hope website or the Secretary of State’s website, it is best to have a conversation with your family.
We at Gift of Hope will advocate for your decision if and when the time comes. But again, it is much easier on the family when they already know what your decision is.”
Cagle says there are many ways organ and tissue donors can help give the gift of hope to others beyond what people commonly think when it comes to being an organ donor.
“There are seven organs that we look at for procuring on every donor who is eligible, and then there are the tissue, corneas, and skin that also are considered life-saving in some ways to folks who need surgical procedures. We see it in a lot of younger adults who are in sports who need an ACL repair for example. So the decision to give the gift can help several hundred people that you may not even know that you’re touching with that gift.”
Cagle says you can also be a living donor as things like kidney and liver donations can be made by someone who is still alive and in good health.
The flag-raising event will be held at 3:30 p.m. at the flagpole located near Jacksonville Memorial Hospital’s main entrance Tuesday.
To find out more information about organ and tissue donation, visit giftofhope.org.