A Family Bond: The Gift of Life Through Living Kidney Donation
Linda Monich, living kidney donor, shares what her experience was like donating a kidney to her husband, Tim, at the Massachusetts General Hospital Transplant Center.
News5 Minute ReadMay | 7 | 2021
Recognizing National Donate Life Month
Each April, National Donate Life Month serves to encourage the public to register as organ, eye and tissue donors and to honor those that have saved lives through the gift of donation. The Massachusetts General Hospital Transplant Center partnered with New England Donor Services to organize virtual events to celebrate this important month.
The Road to Racial Equity in Kidney Transplantation
In partnership with the Mass General Blum Center, the Mass General kidney transplant team hosted an event called, “The Road to Racial Equity in Kidney Transplantation.” The event was led by speakers Winfred Williams, MD, nephrologist, and Jamil Sulemana, RN, BSN, transplant nurse coordinator, and centered on a discussion kidney disease in the Black community, the differences between dialysis and kidney transplant and when one should consider kidney transplantation.
Testimonials from Mass General Living Donors and Recipients
The Mass General Transplant Center published online testimonials from past donors and recipients who received care at Mass General:
- “Reflections from Living Donors” is a collection of thoughts and insights from living donors who wanted to share advice for those who are considering becoming a donor
- “A Family Bond: The Gift of Life Through Living Kidney Donation” is a story featuring Tim and Linda Monich, a husband-and-wife living donor pair
Blue & Green Day
The Mass General Transplant Center team united on April 16, 2021 to celebrate Blue & Green Day, a dedicated day within National Donate Life Month that encourages everyone to promote awareness by wearing the campaign’s dedicated colors.
On-site team members gathered for our annual photo showing off our blue and green, while those working remotely participated with family members from home and shared photos through social media. The Mass General Bake Shop even joined in the celebration by offering a special blue and green Donate Life dessert!
Heart Transplant Recipient Reunion
The Mass General Heart Transplant team reimagined a time-honored tradition—the Heart Transplant Recipient Reunion—as a virtual event. More than 50 former heart transplant patients attended the program during which they learned about treatment and research advances in the field from speakers Greg Lewis, MD, medical director of the Cardiac Transplantation Program, and David D’Alessandro, MD, surgical director of the Cardiac Transplantation Program.
The evening also included inspiring reflections from Mass General heart transplant recipients. Many attendees also shared photos and updates of their lives in a slideshow.
Mass General Donate Life Month activities are organized by the hospital’s Organ and Tissue Donation Committee and the Transplant Center’s Donate Life workgroup. These groups work to advance a culture of awareness, education and honor for organ donation within the Mass General community.
Organ Donation Saves Lives
We are advocates for organ and tissue donation. We strive to find new ways to share available organs among patients on transplant wait lists and, ultimately, to give a second chance at life.