Suzanne Stewart
Staff Writer
April is Donate Life Month, a nationwide designation to spread awareness about organ donation. Each year, hospitals in West Virginia participate in a challenge issued by CORE – the Center for Organ Recover and Education – to hold special events and provide information to their communities about how to become organ donors.
Last week, Donate Life West Virginia held an award ceremony to honor the hospitals that participated. Pocahontas Memorial Hospital received the Platinum Award for its efforts during the month of April.
PMH public relations and special projects coordinator Susan Wilkins explained that the hospital has participated for several years and has received nine awards in those years.
“Donate Life issues a scorecard, and each hospital keeps track of the activities they conduct throughout the month of April to promote organ donation,” Wilkins said. “We did a flag raising ceremony. We do information displays here at the hospital and at events in the community. I do all kinds of social media things throughout the month.”
Wilkins also sends public service announcements to the radio and newspaper.
The hospitals, regardless of size, participate and receive an award based on the final tally on the scorecard. The highest-level award is Titanium, followed by Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze.
While it is nice to receive an award, Wilkins said the most important part of the competition is spreading awareness to the community and helping donors sign up.
“That’s not why we do it,” she said. “We don’t do it so we can get an award. It’s an important thing to do.”
Those interested in becoming organ donors may do so online or at the hospital. It takes no time at all, and it can literally be a lifesaving decision.
“It’s easy to be an organ donor,” she said. “You can sign up in a minute and a half online, but we always have information at events and at the hospital. We’ve had people sign up on the spot. You fill out a little card, give it to us and I get that to the appropriate people.
“It’s super easy to do and it’s so important for so many people who are waiting for transplants of some kind,” she added. It’s really important.”
According to the CORE website, there are nearly 115,000 men, women and children waiting for organ transplants in the United States.
April may be the designated month to spread awareness about organ donation, but it is not the only time you can sign up to be a donor.
You can sign up at any time – online or in person at PMH.
