For the Tomahawk Leader
TOMAHAWK – Aspirus Tomahawk Hospital raised the Donate Life flag on Friday, April 22 to honor organ, tissue, and eye donors and their loved ones.
“Aspirus staff gathered at the Aspirus Tomahawk Hospital flagpole area to recognize the individuals whose sacrifice helped save a life,” Aspirus stated.
“By raising the Donate Life flag at Aspirus Tomahawk Hospital, we are honoring the donation heroes that we have cared for within our walls and signaling our ongoing commitment to ensuring that the people who need a second chance at life will get one,” said Carmen Viegut, RN, BSN, Director of Patient Care Services at Aspirus Tomahawk Hospital. “I encourage everyone who hasn’t registered as a donor to do so today, and then share your lifesaving decision with your friends and family. Registering as a donor relieves your family of the burden of making this decision at a time of sadness and grief.”
Aspirus said there are currently more than 100,000 men, women and children awaiting organ transplants in the United States, including more than 1,500 people here in Wisconsin.
“Unfortunately, not all these people will receive a second chance at life,” Aspirus stated.
Approximately 6,000 people die each year (17 people each day) because the organs they need are not available, and on average, 150 people are added to the nation’s organ transplant waiting list each day.
Aspirus said a single organ and tissue donor can save or heal the lives of up to 50 people, noting that in 2021, more than 41,000 transplants from 20,300 donors brought renewed life to patients and their families and communities across the United States.
“Many people don’t register because they think they can’t donate, which is often not the case,” Aspirus said.
Aspirus said it encourages residents in the communities it serves to give hope and help save lives by registering your decision to be an organ, eye and tissue donor at www.organdonor.gov, in the Medical ID tab of the iPhone Health app, or at the Wisconsin DMV.
“To those who have already registered their donation decision, thank you,” Aspirus stated. “Help continue to save lives by sharing the Donate Life message, educating others about the need and how their generosity can help save and heal lives.”
Aspirus also provided facts about organ, tissue and cornea donation:
- Anyone can be a potential donor, regardless of age, race or medical history.
- More than 1,500 patients in Wisconsin are awaiting life-saving organ transplants. Thousands of others could benefit from healing tissue transplants.
- Kidneys are the organ in greatest demand – with an estimated 95,000 people across the nation awaiting one – followed by liver, heart and lungs.
- Because conditions such as diabetes and hypertension often are more prevalent in the multicultural community, these individuals make up more than 50% of those on the national organ transplant list.
- Living donation (bit.ly/3voV0uU) is an option for both kidney and liver transplantation.
- More than 170 million people are registered organ, eye and tissue donors.
To learn more about Aspirus, visit www.aspirus.org/.