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More than One Way to Give the Gift of Life This Holiday Season

donorrecovery.org

  The greatest holiday gift a Central New Yorker could give might only require a simple sign up or a check off on your drivers’ license.  The Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Networkis using the holiday season to try and get more people to give the gift of life.  Communications Director Nancy Ryan says any fancy clothes or electronic gadget pales in comparison to an organ someone might be waiting for.

“That could be a kidney transplant, a heart, a liver , a pancreas.  Think of this time of year when we’re out scurrying around with our families, reflecting on the blessings and the simple joys of life that we have, those nearly 700 people, they are families and friends and neighbors, and co-workers who are spending this holiday waiting for their ultimate gift.” 

New York is among the bottom of states and US territories when it comes t the percentage of people that have signed up to donate their organs...even though it’s a simple check-off when renewing a driver’s license.  Ryan says when that life-saving organ is just about to come available due to someone else’s tragedy...it’s a hard time to make the decision.

“When we’re in the hospitals, we’re speaking with families, if their loved one is likely not going to survive their injuries or their illness.  We talk to families and ask them the decision they would want to make on their loved one’s behalf, it’s very difficult for families to decide at that moment of time when they’re faced with losing their loved one.  It’s a lot to ask of a family, consenting and giving the go-ahead for organ donations.”

Ryan is urging everyone to make the decision in advance.  In addition to doing it through the D-M-V, people can find ways to sign up as an organ donor at DonorRecovery.org.  

Credit donorrecovery.org

Meanwhile the Red Cross is also urging giving the gift of life this holiday in the form of blood donations.  New York-Penn Region Spokesperson Cara Noble says donations dip around the holidays due to busy schedules and seasonal illness.

Credit redcrossblood.org

  “But patients don’t get a break; they don’t get a holiday from needing blood and platelets.  When you give, your blood is going to be given to patient who maybe has serious medical conditions, it could go to an accident or burn victim, heart surgery patient, organ transplant patient.  To the parent of a child who’s going through cancer treatment, or family of an accident victim, you’re giving a priceless gift.”

The Red Cross is holding a special blood drive December 23rd thru January 4th with a special t-shirt as a thank you...but Noble says there are blood drives seven days a week.  To find out where and to sign up go to redcrossblood.org

Chris Bolt, Ed.D. has proudly been covering the Central New York community and mentoring students for more than 30 years. His career in public media started as a student volunteer, then as a reporter/producer. He has been the news director for WAER since 1995. Dedicated to keeping local news coverage alive, Chris also has a passion for education, having trained, mentored and provided a platform for growth to more than a thousand students. Career highlights include having work appear on NPR, CBS, ABC and other news networks, winning numerous local and state journalism awards.