Roxborough Memorial Hospital
04/29/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/29/2024 17:43
Roxborough Memorial Hospital Honors Donor Heroes with a Flag Raising During National Donate Life Month in April
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Michelle Aliprantis, MBA
Regional Director of Marketing and Communications
Philadelphia, PA (April 29, 2024)-Representatives and staff members from Roxborough Memorial Hospital joined forces with the Gift of Life Donor Program to partake in a flag-raising ceremony on April 29. The event highlighted National Donate Life Month and aimed to raise awareness about the importance of organ donation.
This year, the Gift of Life is celebrating 50 years of dedicated service to the community. According to the PA Donate Life website, there are currently over 100,000 individuals waiting for life-saving organ transplants in the U.S. Additionally, hundreds of thousands of people are in need of tissue transplants to improve their quality of life. In Pennsylvania, more than 5,000 people are on the organ donation waiting list, hoping for a chance at a transformed life.
During the ceremony, attendees had the privilege of hearing from Tameka Childs-Wolf, Gift of Life Coordinator; Shawn Parekh, CEO; Dr. Salley Lane; and Christina Casumpang, a volunteer ambassador and organ recipient. They shared their personal stories and insights with the audience, delivering a powerful message.
Taking place by the flagpole outside, Parekh stressed the significance of organ donation and the importance of spreading awareness about this life-saving cause. He urged more people to register as donors, highlighting how a single donor can impact multiple lives.
Childs-Wolf echoed his sentiments, emphasizing the collaborative effort required from everyone involved in the donation and transplant process. She acknowledged the crucial role played by individuals like the audience members, expressing gratitude for their dedication and teamwork in saving lives through organ donation.
Casumpang, a resident of South Philadelphia, bravely shared her story as a two-time kidney transplant recipient during the event. Despite being a private person, she felt compelled to raise awareness about the critical need for organ donors.
Recalling her journey, Casumpang emphasized the impact of organ donation, mentioning that "one donor can potentially save up to eight lives and heal around 100 through tissue donation." Her hope is that her story will inspire others to register as organ donors and make a life-changing difference for those in need.
In 2006, Casumpang faced a challenging pregnancy complication that led to maternal sepsis. She vividly remembered the difficult days in the ICU, where she fought for her and her daughter's survival. Tragically, her daughter did not make it, and Casumpang herself suffered kidney failure and slipped into a month-long coma.
After waking up, she was immediately put on dialysis and added to the national transplant list. In 2011, she received her first kidney transplant, but had to return to dialysis in 2015. Fortunately, on December 20, 2018-the same day her grandmother passed away-she received another life-saving kidney transplant, a true blessing that brought her home on Christmas Day.
Despite not knowing her donors, Casumpang expressed eternal gratitude for the profound gift of life she received. She considers herself incredibly fortunate and humbly acknowledges the generosity of her unknown donors.
The Gift of Life Donor Program, a leading organ procurement organization nationally, facilitates more organ and tissue donations than any other in the U.S. CEO Shawn Parekh wrapped up the ceremony by thanking attendees for their support and recognizing the impactful stories shared by speakers, like Casumpang. He highlighted the exceptional work of the Gift of Life program and the hospital's dedication to raising awareness about organ donation.
As a symbol of the event's significance, guests watched hospital members raise a special blue and green flag, serving as a constant reminder of the precious gift of life and the significance of organ and tissue donation.
To learn more about organ and tissue donation and transplantation, or to register to become an organ donor, visit www.donors1.org.
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About Roxborough Memorial Hospital: Roxborough Memorial Hospital is a 131-bed community hospital. The hospital has been serving the medical and health care needs of the Roxborough, Manayunk, East Falls and northwest section of Philadelphia communities for more than a century, having first opened its doors in 1890. Roxborough Memorial Hospitals School of Nursing has been educating nurses since 1898. The hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation's oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency. As part of Prime Healthcare Services, headquartered in Ontario, California, Roxborough Memorial Hospital is focused on becoming one of the leaders in technology.
About Prime Healthcare and Prime Healthcare Foundation: Prime Healthcare is an award-winning health system operating 44 hospitals and more than 300 outpatient locations in 14 states, providing over 2.6 million patient visits annually. It is one of the nation's leading health systems with nearly 50,000 employees and physicians dedicated to providing the highest quality healthcare. Fourteen of the Prime Healthcare hospitals are members of the Prime Healthcare Foundation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit public charity. Based in Ontario, California, Prime Healthcare is nationally recognized for award-winning quality care and has been named a Top 10 and Top 15 Health System by IBM Watson Health. Its hospitals have been named among the nation's "100 Top Hospitals" 58 times and have received more Patient Safety Excellence Awards from Healthgrades than any other health system in the past six years. To learn more, please visit www.primehealthcare.com