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Memorial captures those who gave the gift of life through organ and tissue donation
LUBBOCK, TX (Apr. 28, 2010) -- The University Medical Center (UMC) Health System and LifeGift will bring National Donate Life Month to a close on Friday, Aprl. 30 with the unveiling of the "Wall of Honor" -- a memorial that portrays those who gave the gift of life through organ and tissue donation.
This "Wall of Honor," located in the waiting room of the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) of UMC, will feature photos of local organ and tissue donors, to not only honor them, but to help raise awareness of the critical need for organ and tissue donors in Texas. The art piece will be a permanent fixture on the wall in the SICU Waiting Room.
"The memorial depicts the impact that just one person can have through the gifts of donation," said Sam Holtzman, president and CEO of LifeGift. "One person has the potential to save 80 people through organ and tissue donation, offering others a second chance to lead healthy, productive and normal lives."
Currently more than 9,000 Texans are on the waiting list for an organ transplant, whether that be for a heart, intestine, kidney, liver, lungs or pancreas. Thousands more are waiting for life-enhancing tissue transplants, including bones, corneas, heart valves, skin, tendons and veins.
"UMC is proud of its role in continuing the gift of life through organ and tissue donation. Without the support of so many of these organ donors, life for others would not be possible," said David Allison, CEO of UMC.
The Texas Department of State Health Services maintains the Glenda Dawson Donate Life - Texas Registry, a database of indiviiduals who have officially indicated their wish to donate organs, tissue and eyes. To register, visit www.donatelifetexas.org.
