Holzer Making Strides Celebrates Donate Life Month
Holzer recently had its second “Making Strides” event of 2024. In celebration of National Donate Life Month, April’s event was headlined by Travis Webb, Manager, Donation Program Coordination, Lifeline of Ohio, and Jessie Borden, Donation Program Coordinator, Lifeline of Ohio. They discussed the importance of donation and how it can impact those around us.
Borden said, “On behalf of our leadership and staff, I’d like to thank Holzer for hosting this wonderful event and displaying the Donate Life flag as part of National Donate Life Month. By displaying the flag, we raise awareness of the great need for registered donors; and we give hope to more than 100,000 people around the country who are waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant. The flag is also displayed to recognize the thousands of donor heroes and their loved ones, who’ve said ‘yes’ to donation.”
Borden and Webb went on to provide many impactful statistics, stating, “Last year, 182 people in our Central and Southeastern Ohio service area shared the gift of life through organ donation. Those gifts saved the lives of 445 people. Also, 553 tissue donors gave the gift of healing, and 451 cornea donors gave the gift of sight. Behind each of those numbers is a generous donor, a person with family, friends, coworkers, goals, and dreams.”
Borden and Webb also talked about Holzer’s cooperation in terms of donations, saying, “Last year, 587 placentas were donated through Lifeline of Ohio’s Placenta Donation Program, which were used to create close to 15,000 healing grafts. 58 of those generous donors were from Holzer Health System. We are also grateful to the hospital team for supporting 8 tissue donors and 18 cornea donors in 2023. Because of the team’s commitment to care and advocacy for donation, lives were saved and healed. Facilitating these donations would not have been possible without our partner – Holzer Health System.”
Following Borden and Webb’s presentation, video testimonials were shared of Holzer employees who have been touched by organ/tissue donation. These employees were Kati Anderson, Dennis McGuire, and Tracey Robinson. You can view these testimonials by visiting Holzer’s website or Youtube channel.
To end the event, participants walked and placed blue and green pinwheels in a garden to recognize National Donate Life Month.
Making Strides with Holzer is a health initiative designed to guide overall wellness for individuals in our communities. In efforts to improve the health and wellbeing of participants, each scheduled monthly event will be led by a Holzer provider or staff member focusing on a topic of their expertise. May’s event will be held Saturday, May 11, 9am, at Lake Alma in Wellston. For questions, call 740-446-5901.
