Flag raising ceremony honors organ donation awareness at Reading Hospital

A small crowd gathered Thursday morning near the Fifth Avenue entrance of Reading Hospital to raise awareness about the importance of organ donation.

The 2022 Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania Donate Life Challenge encouraging all people to register as organ, tissue, and cornea donors.

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“It’s important to know that anyone can be a potential organ donor regardless of medical history, age, or race,” said Dr. Rosemary Wurster, Reading Hospital Chief Nursing Officer.

“This is imperative because there are more than 95,000 individuals across the country waiting for a kidney, liver, heart, or lung transplant and every day more people are added to the list. By becoming an organ donor you can give the most special gift, the gift of life, to those in need.”  

Shelly Farmer RN, educator at the Reading Hospital School of Health Sciences shared, “My mother suffered a traumatic brain injury when she was 60 years old. At the time of her accident I was a nurse in the ICU so I was very familiar with organ donation and knew she may be a candidate for donation. My mother was blind in one eye and wanted to help others by donating her cornea. She had discussed organ donation with our family on multiple occasions and was designated as an organ donor on her driver’s license.”

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“Having those discussions with her helped us to follow through on her wishes to be a donor. My family was very happy that my mother was able to donate and we find comfort in knowing that other individuals and families benefited greatly from her gift of life.” 

Register to become an organ donor at donors1.org.

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Berks Weekly
Berks Weekly
Berks Weekly is an independent and locally owned digital newspaper covering the City of Reading and Berks County. Subscribe today: berksweekly.com/subscribe
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