AUGUSTA, Ga. () – April is Donate Life month. Local medical professionals are honoring donors and recipients.

At 1:08 Friday afternoon, Donate Life and staff at Piedmont Hospital raised a flag to represent how one donor can save eight lives.

“Really just to recognize those who’ve given the gift of life and to celebrate those who have received it,” LifeLink Foundation’s Tracy Ide said.

Recipients like Odie Screws and his sister are just a couple of examples on the large impact just one organ donor can have. 

“In 2009, I got diagnosed with heart failure– in 2012, my sister had to have another heart and kidney. So, go forward to 2020, everything’s been going, started have ‘v-tacks’ throughout the end so I had to have an ablation…” organ recipient Odie Screws said.

It’s stories like Screws’ and his sister’s why Donate Life members created the tradition of the flag raising ceremony– to continue raising awareness for the great need of donors.

“The truth is that people continue to die every day, though, because of the lack of organs– and really from a lack of information about that,” Piedmont Augusta’s CMO Dr. Barry Jenkins said.

Several people in the CSRA are still here today thanks to organ donors. It’s why Ide encourages you to be a part of the life-changing opportunity. 

“It takes less than five minutes to sign up, and one organ, eye and tissue donor can help up to 75 people. So, through organ donation, eight people and through the tissue, all the way u to 75 people have a chance to have a better life because of the legacy that you give,” Ide said.

To learn more about “Donate Life” and how to register to become an organ donor, more information can be found.