On Wednesday, March 22nd, Jamaica Hospital Medical Center and LiveOnNY held a flag-raising ceremony to honor donor heroes and their families along with the dedicated healthcare workers who assist in obtaining organ donations.
Introductory remarks were given by Jamaica Hospital’s EVP and COO, William Lynch, and the hospital’s Chairman of the Department of Family Medicine and Chief of Palliative Medicine, Dr. Alan Roth as well as Mr. Leonard Achan, President and CEO of LiveOnNY. They were followed by Pamela Ariza who spoke about what organ donation has meant to her family and the legacy her daughter Alexandra “Allie” Ariza left after becoming an organ donor hero. Additionally, Dr. Sheree Watson spoke about her experience as a liver recipient and emphasized the importance of registering to become an organ donor.
Before raising the flag, Mr. William Lynch, Dr. Alan Roth, Dr. Sally Mathew-Geevarughese, Associate Director Palliative Care Fellowship Program, Dr. Oscar Corzo, Attending Physician Palliative and Hospice Department, and Dr. Khalid Gafoor, MICU Director, were all presented with certificates for their efforts in raising in awareness for organ donations.
One organ donor can save up to 8 lives. More than 8,000 people in New York State are currently on the organ transplant waiting list and more than 100,000 are waiting across the nation, hoping that a donor hero will save their lives. If you are interested in registering as an organ donor, please visit www.liveonny.org.
