PHILADELPHIA (WTXF) – April is National Donate Life month, a chance to raise awareness for the need for organ donation, for goodness’ sake.
“Nationally, there are 15,000 people waiting for a transplant and right here at Jefferson there are 700 people waiting for that call for that gift life,” said Howard Nathan.
Nathan, of Gift of Life, reminds all that every April, the nation recognizes National Donate Life month. For many, statistics are not the thing that makes the largest impact.
“I’ve been a donor for decades, but I had never really thought about what it meant,” Rittershausen said.
The potential impact of being an organ donor changes when people have an opportunity to listen to the stories of those who have received the gift of life.
“My husband had end stage liver disease. No family ever wants to hear that someone they care about has end stage anything,” Rittershausen stated.
Donna stood there with her husband, just months removed from his liver transplant and shared the struggle of the family and their young children hoping for a second chance at life.
“There are a lot of families that wait and pray and hope with no end in sight,” Rittershausen explained.