Wits University Donald Gordon Medical Centre and Fourways Memorial Park celebrate brave organ donors
Transplant co-ordinator at Wits University Donald Gordon Medical Centre, said the event was aimed at honouring organ donors for their gift of life to others.
Wits University Donald Gordon Medical Centre in partnership with Cartel, and Visual Feast hosted an organ donor tribute day at Fourways Memorial Park on August 7.
Dozens of family members of those deceased who had taken a brave decision to donate their organs when they died, attended the event and took part in a tree planting ceremony as a symbol of appreciation to the donors.
Transplant coordinator at Wits University Donald Gordon Medical Centre, Marlize De Jager said the event was aimed at honouring the fallen heroes who decided to donate their body organs to give a gift of life to others.
“August is [National] Organ Donor Awareness Month in South Africa and every year we select a day to pay tribute to organ donor families. We also use this event to encourage members of the public to donate their organs when they pass away.”
An 18-year-old organ recipient from Douglasdale, Tshiamo Maifela said she would forever be thankful to a donor who had donated a liver so she could receive a transplant.
“I wouldn’t be alive if the person who donated a liver for me to get my transplant, didn’t take that difficult decision. From the year 2016, I was battling with endless and indescribable pain because of kidney stones that I was diagnosed with.”
Tshiamo said she couldn’t believe it when she received a call from the centre informing her that they had found a matching liver for her.
“I would like to encourage people to consider this great decision to give a gift of life to someone. My pain and agony came to an end last year when someone I didn’t know decided to donate a liver for me to do my transplant.”
Related Article:
Early Christmas for children at Witkoppen Clinic Orphans and Vulnerable Children’s site
