Lakeview Hospital marks national donate life month with flag raising ceremony

Lakeview Hospital , a campus of Tulane Medical Center will join the Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency on Monday, April 23 at 11 a.m. for a celebratory raising of the Donate Life flag in front of the hospital to recognize National Donate Life Month. The Donate Life flag raising is a way for hospitals throughout the state of Louisiana to help raise awareness for the critical need for donors and to honor those heroes who have given the gift of life through organ, eye and tissue donation. Lakeview Regional is the first and only hospital on the Northshore to raise the Donate Life flag this year.

The Lakeview Regional choir, which is composed of hospital staff, will sing at this event, and the Tulane Transplant Institute will be on hand to share information and answer questions.

“Organ donations save and heal lives every day, but it can only happen when someone makes the important decision to register as an organ, eye and tissue donor,” said Bret Kolman, Lakeview Regional CEO. “This flag raising will bring awareness to the community, reminding us that the gift of life can be part of our legacy, making an undeniable difference in someone’s life.”

Lakeview Regional has invited donor families, recipients and those awaiting transplant to share in this event and come forward to share their stories in hopes of inspiring a call to action.

The number of people in need of transplants continues to outpace the supply of donated organs. In the United States, more than 115,000 people are currently awaiting a transplant, and sadly, an average of 22 patients die every day because the organ they needed was not donated in time. In Louisiana alone, more than 2,000 people are awaiting the gift of life. The solution to this problem is to continue educating the public about the lifesaving and enhancing effects of donation and transplantation and encourage them to sign up on the Louisiana Donor Registry.

Learn more about organ donation and register today at www.donatelifela.org or call 1-800-521-GIVE. Visit www.lopa.org to learn more about organ, eye and tissue donation and how LOPA is Making Life Happen in Louisiana.