Southampton, NY—For the eighth consecutive year Southampton Hospital, the New York Organ Donor Network (NYODN), and East Hampton Lions Club partnered during Donate Life Month to increase awareness of the need for additional organ donors in New York State. Southampton Hospital hosted a special presentation for medical staff, residents, and students, with personal stories from family members of organ donors and an organ transplant recipient. Attendees were encouraged to register as part of New York State’s Donate Life registry.
Frank Dalene of the East Hampton Lions Club organized the effort to improve organ donor registration from Southampton to Montauk beginning in 2009. He and his wife had lost their son tragically and found comfort in the news that his tissue donation gave two people the gift of sight. “Thanks to our partnership with Southampton Hospital and the New York Organ Donor Network, we were able to increase organ donor registration on the East End by 102 percent from 2009-2012,” said Mr. Dalene.
According to the NYODN, 121,812 people are on the wait list for organ transplants nationally. In New York, someone dies every 15 hours waiting for an organ transplant. New York is second-to-last in the nation for its percentage of registered organ donors. Only 22 percent of New Yorkers are registered as organ donors, while the national rate is 47 percent. One organ donor can save up to 8 lives and one tissue donation can improve the lives of up to 50 people. Anyone over 18 years of age can register as an organ donor at www.donatelifeny.org, by calling 1-866-693-6667, or by visiting their local DMV.
(l. to r.) Karin Lee, Hospital Services Specialist, NYODN; JoAnn Edginton, RN, MSN, ANP, Transplant Administrative Coordinator, NYODN; Frank Dalene, East Hampton Lions Club and Donor Father; Jeff Williams, Donor Father; Andrea Eisenman, Organ Transplant Recipient; and Karen Wulffraat, Community Outreach Coordinator, Southampton Hospital.