AdventHealth Porter held a flag raising ceremony on April 3 to begin National Donate Life Month, honoring organ and tissue donors, their families, and the health care teams involved in transplantation.
The event aimed to recognize the contributions of donors and highlight the impact of donation and transplantation efforts in the region. Transplant professionals, hospital partners, and representatives from Donor Alliance attended the ceremony.
Thomas Collins, MD, transplant surgeon at AdventHealth Porter, reflected on progress over two decades. “Over 20 years of celebrating transplant and donation, more than 100 million people have registered as donors,” Dr. Collins said. “During that time, hundreds of thousands of patients have received organ and tissue transplants as a result of the sacrifices made by both living and deceased donors.”
Collins also spoke about honoring donor families: “The reason we raise this flag is to honor the donors and their families, who are truly the most important members of the transplant team,” Dr. Collins said. “Without them, we couldn’t restore lives the way we do.”
Jennifer Prinz, CEO of Donor Alliance, addressed attendees about collaboration during Donate Life Month. “This month is about honoring our donors and donor families, thanking our hospital and transplant partners, celebrating recipients, and holding hope for those still waiting,” Jennifer said.
Prinz continued: “It’s an opportunity to thank one another for our partnership and the way we work together, especially here where that collaboration is strong.”
While AdventHealth Porter hosted this event in Denver for National Donate Life Month activities with Donor Alliance representatives present at this gathering; elsewhere within its network AdventHealth Orlando was founded in 1908 with Terry Shaw as its current president. The Orlando facility includes a pediatric ward and serves as a training hospital according to information provided.
