Ceremony honors transplant donors, encourages organ donation
FORT WORTH – With tears in his eyes, Arthur J. Easton read an emotional letter of gratitude for the life-saving kidney transplant he received on March 4, after eight long years of dialysis. It was part of a Donate Life flag-raising ceremony and moment of silence at Medical City Fort Worth to mark National Donate Life Month.
“To the young lady who lost her life to give me life and to the amazing team at Medical City Fort Worth, thank you for a new life and for a new chapter,” says Easton.
April is recognized as National Donate Life Month. To mark the observance, Medical City Fort Worth hosted a Donate Life Flag-raising ceremony and a moment of silence to honor organ donors and their families. The event aimed to promote awareness of organ, tissue and eye donation and the need for registered donors.
Nationwide, more than 100,000 people are waiting for lifesaving organ transplants, including about 11,600 in Texas.
The Medical City Fort Worth kidney transplant program is rated at the top in Texas when it comes to getting a transplant faster, according to data provided by the Scientific Registry for Transplant Recipients.
"Organ donation is critical to addressing the urgent need for life-saving organs,” says Sridhar R. Allam, M.D., medical director of transplant services at Medical City Fort Worth’s Transplant Institute. “Every donor has the power to make a meaningful impact on the lives of others and their selfless act of donation can provide hope and healing to those in need. At Medical City Fort Worth, we are committed to supporting our patients throughout the donation process and providing them with the best possible outcomes."
ABOUT MEDICAL CITY FORT WORTH
Medical City Fort Worth is a 348-bed, acute care hospital located in Fort Worth, Texas. With a medical team of more than 700 physicians, Medical City Fort Worth offers comprehensive diagnostic and treatment services in a wide range of specialties, including cardiovascular care, neurosciences, oncology, surgical services, orthopedics, kidney transplants and emergency care. Part of the Texas Stroke Institute stroke care network, Medical City Fort Worth is a designated comprehensive stroke center and a Joint Commission-certified chest pain center. Named one of America’s 250 Best Hospitals by Healthgrades, Medical City Fort Worth is A-rated for safety by the Leapfrog Group and Magnet® recognized for nursing excellence.