Shapiro administration promotes PA Donor Day to encourage organ donor registration

The Pennsylvania Departments of Health and Transportation, along with health care professionals, organ donation advocates, and families affected by organ donation, gathered at UPMC West Shore to observe PA Donor Day. The event aimed to raise awareness about the importance of registering as an organ donor in Pennsylvania.

PA Donor Day is held on August 1 each year. The date was chosen because the numbers 8/1 represent that one donor can save up to eight lives. According to state officials, more than 6,000 residents are currently waiting for a transplant in Pennsylvania. Many individuals die annually while waiting for a suitable match.

"As a practicing pediatrician, I saw firsthand the life-changing impact of organ donation," said Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen. "Children and families were given a new lease on life thanks to the selfless action of someone they often never met. We need more Pennsylvanians to sign up and help save lives."

Organ and tissue donors have the potential to save up to eight lives through organ donation and improve the quality of life for as many as 75 people through tissue donation. Tissue donations can assist patients who are recovering from injuries such as burns or spinal damage and those experiencing vision loss.

Speakers at the event included Elizabeth Ritter, President of UPMC West Shore; Dr. Debra Bogen, Secretary of Health; Larry Shifflet, Executive Deputy Secretary at PennDOT; Rev. Brenda Alton from the Gov. Casey Organ Donation Advisory Committee; CJ Adams, an organ recipient; Dr. Manish Gupta, Surgical Director of UPMC's Kidney Transplant Program; and Marilyn Michelle Reynolds, an organ donor.