More than 110,000 people are waiting for an organ transplant in this country. At HUP alone, more than 1,300 patients await the “gift of life.”
Each year, the Gift of Life Donor Dash raises awareness of how critical organ donation is and honors all donors who give others a second chance at life. The Penn Medicine team raised more than $2,200 for the 2019 Dash. But, this year, HUP took the goal to raise awareness one step further — holding its own “dash” on 10 patient care units.
Partnering with Gift of Life volunteers, staff from units that care for transplant patients, organ donor recipients — and those waiting for a donor — and donor families made a loop around each of their respective units. “Patients who couldn’t leave their rooms participated from their beds or chairs doing ankle pumps,” said Jessica Fuller, MSN, nurse manager of the Neuro ICU. It even reached a women’s health floor “where a mom and newborn participated with an uncle who is currently on the transplant list.”
“Everyone here works so hard because we love our patients and love when they do so well,” said Abraham Shaked, MD, PhD, director of the Penn Transplant Center, adding, “We are very thankful for the work Gift of Life does for us and for patients.”