United Hospital Center honors organ, tissue and cornea donors from the past year

CLARKSBURG, W.Va.– As part of National Donate Life Month, United Hospital Center honored the lives of those who made the decision to enrich the lives of others with a ceremony Thursday at the People’s Hospice Memorial Garden in Clarksburg.

A tree planted at the People's Hospice Memorial Garden in Clarksburg honoring the lives of donors
A tree planted at the People’s Hospice Memorial Garden in Clarksburg honoring the lives of donors

“This is an event to honor those who have donated organ, tissue and eye from this year,” Juanita Alfred, RN, clinical educator and supervisor of critical care said. “Specifically, on our donor tree that we dedicated last year, we’ve hung sun catchers to represent those 11 people who were able to donate this past year.”

She believes it is important to honor those individuals and their families “because of all the lives they save and enhance.”

In the spirit of National Donate Life Month, the event was also an initiative to get people talking about donation, why it is important and the ease of registering as a donor.

National Donate Life Month began in 2003 by Donate Life American and its partner organizations in order to dedicate April to featuring activities to encourage people to become donors and celebrate those who have donated.

According to the Center for Organ Recover and Education, the country is in dire need of donors.

Nearly 124,000 individuals nationwide are waiting for a transplant, and at least 18 will die each day without receiving

A plaque at the base of the tree honoring the lives of donors
A plaque at the base of the tree honoring the lives of donors

one. Three of those who pass on will be from the area of West Virginia which CORE services.

Alfred encourages people to register as donors not only because of the potential gift they can give to others through their death, but for the peace of mind they could give to loved ones they leave behind

“Your family doesn’t have to make the decision for you. You are able to say ‘That’s what I wanted,'” she said. “If you’re giving in your lifetime and you want to continue that after you’re gone, you don’t want your family to have to worry about whether that was the right thing you wanted to do, you made the decision yourself.”

Elizabeth Rose-Cunningham can personally attest to the sentiment behind Alfred statement.

On June 1, it will have been eight years since her husband, Bradley Rose passed. Soon after his death, she found herself having to answer questions regarding his status as a donor.

While it was difficult, she was able to get through it because they had made the decision to become donors together and had established how to fulfill his wishes.

“It is so very emotional right after you’ve lost your loved one, and time matters,” she said. “You can’t delay it and give all the answers to the questions afterwards. So, if you have made that commitment to each other and the promise to help someone through your death, then you do follow through, even if it’s hard.”

More information about becoming a donor can be found at Donate Life West Virginia’s website, donatelife.wv.gov. Registration to become an organ, tissue and cornea donor can be completed at the site also.