Gift of Hope's 2019 Chicago Organ Summit Focused on Supporting Donor Families
ITASCA, Ill., April 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, hundreds of people including government officials, community leaders, top medical professionals, organ and tissue donation advocates and the families of organ and tissue donors descended upon the J.W. Marriot in Chicago for the third annual Chicago Organ Summit.
Hosted by Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network and sponsored by the City of Chicago and the Illinois Secretary of State, the 2019 Chicago Organ Summit honored organ and tissue donors and took a closer look at how donation benefits families. Cindy Abitua, the mother of organ donor Tristen Scholly, is one of four donor families who shared their donation stories during the summit.
Tristen was just 21-years-old when he became an organ donor following an accidental fall in Chicago. Tristen was always an incredibly generous man during his lifetime and became a registered as an organ donor so he could help others. In all, Tristen saved the lives of four people through organ donation and enhanced the lives of countless others as a tissue donor. Although given the choice, Cindy would always prefer having her son back, she takes comfort in knowing that Tristen is out there helping other people through the gift of donation. The family has even started up a foundation in Tristen's honor that helps support other donor families.
Honoring and remembering donors and their families is what April's National Donate Life Month is about. "This year's Chicago Organ Summit is all about how donation benefits every family and improving the way we care for and support donor families," said Kevin Cmunt, President/CEO for Gift of Hope. "The summit is a true collaborative effort that unites Chicago in making a positive impact on organ and tissue donation and transplantation."
Last year in Illinois, 1,424 organs were transplanted with 1,139 organs coming from deceased donors and 285 organs coming from living donors. Tissue donation in Illinois is up 67 percent, with nearly 3,000 people donating tissue that will help thousands of people across the world.
"While it's easy for people to understand how donation benefits recipients, people forget that becoming an organ and tissue donor also benefits donor families," said Cmunt. "The Chicago Organ Summit shines a light on how a donor's legacy doesn't end with their death, but lives on through the gift of donation."
The Chicago Organ Summit was created in response to President Barack Obama's request to the nation during the 2016 White House Organ Summit to improve organ and tissue donation and transplantation across the country. Chicago was the first to answer this call and remains steadfast in its commitment to transform the city the transplant hub of the nation, breaking down barriers to donation and being the leader in providing compassionate support for donors and their families.
About Gift of Hope
Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network is a not-for-profit organ procurement organization entrusted by the nation's healthcare system with coordinating organ and tissue donation and providing donor family services and public education in Illinois and northwest Indiana. It has coordinated donations that have saved the lives of more than 20,000 organ transplant recipients and improved the lives of hundreds of thousands of tissue transplant recipients. As one of 58 organ procurement organizations that make up the nation's organ and tissue donation system, Gift of Hope works with 180 hospitals and serves 12 million residents in its donation service area. For more information about Gift of Hope and organ and tissue donation, visit GiftofHope.org.
SOURCE Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network
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