Community members gather at the hospital for a special flag raising ceremony.
Palmdale Regional Medical Center joins with the Donate Life and One Legacy organizations in this special observance to honor those who have left their legacy behind to save and transform lives. More than 33,600 transplants were made possible in the U.S. in 2016, according to Donate Life America.
As part of the hospital’s flag raising event, Palmdale resident Anna Villafana shared her story of how she has been touched by organ donation. Anna was diagnosed with renal failure at age 18 and received her first transplant from a family member, who gave her one of his kidneys as a living donor. “It was the most amazing gift he could possibly give me,” she says.
After living for 15 and a half years with that gift, her body rejected the kidney and her health plummeted. In May 2016, Anna received a call from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) that a kidney was available from a young man who had lost his life. Anna says she is so grateful to her donor for putting his name on the donor registry. For her and many others, the flag raising is an opportunity to say thank you and pay special honor and respect to individuals who have given the ultimate gift.
You can find out about organ donation and register to be a donor online by visiting One Legacy at www.onelegacy.org. One Legacy serves the seven-county greater Los Angeles area. Registration is also available through Donate Life America at www.donatelife.net.
Did you know…
The number of patients waiting for organs varies every day, but on average, the number is well over 120,000 and climbing, according to organdonor.gov. In addition to major organ transplants, eye and tissue donations can be life-changing for many people.