UToledo Health and Life Connection of Ohio will honor National Donate Life Month with a flag-raising ceremony outside The University of Toledo Medical Center on Wednesday, April 2.
The event will begin at noon in the first-floor lounge of Mulford Library on UToledo’s Health Science Campus near the hospital’s main entrance. The ceremony is open to the public.
Celebrated each April, National Donate Life Month highlights the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation and honors those who have saved lives through donation.
This year’s flag-raising ceremony will feature representatives from UToledo Health, Life Connection of Ohio and Solvita. Recipients who received tissue and cornea transplants also are scheduled to speak, and attendees will place pinwheels outside the hospital entrance to recognize the importance of organ donation.
“Life Connection of Ohio is proud to partner with UToledo Health to serve families and save lives through organ donation. April is National Donate Life Month, so there is no better time to spread the word about the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation,” said Kara Steele, Life Connection of Ohio’s Director of Community Services. “There are countless people touched by donation in our community, and we look forward to honoring those who gave the gift of life and celebrating with those who received a second chance at life through UToledo Health’s National Donate Life Month activities.”
UToledo Health operates northwest Ohio’s only organ transplant program. UTMC has for more than 50 years provided kidney transplants and earlier this year also began offering pancreas transplants.
“We are proud to be a beacon of hope for individuals who need a life-saving organ transplant,” said Dan Barbee, UTMC chief executive officer. “The impact of organ and tissue donation cannot be overstated. We see it first-hand in the lives of our patients who have undergone a kidney or pancreas transplant in our hospital. Partnering with Life Connection of Ohio is a great opportunity to raise awareness and recognize those who have given the gift of life.”
UTMC performed 191 kidney transplants last year and has completed more than 800 transplants since the beginning of 2021.
