Dressed in green and blue, employees from HCA Florida Highlands Hospital gathered ‘round the flagpole of its Sebring campus at noon Monday. A Donate Life flag was raised to honor donors and recipients. Director of Infection Prevention Lori Bryant also shared how her personal tragedies would ultimately save the lives of others.
April is National Donate Life Month and HCA, along with other organ and tissue donation organizations, celebrated those who have already saved lives through organ donation and to encourage others to register as well.
Chief Nursing Officer Lisa Littlejohn greeted everyone and gave a brief talk on organ donation. Through donation, one person could save eight lives.
“On average, one tissue donor can enhance the lives of 75 individuals and one cornea donor can improve the site for two individuals,” she said.
Lions World Vision Institute spokesman James Rosa thanked HCA for their continued support. Rosa said last year the hospital had 48 eye donors. Twenty people’s sight was directly impacted through cornea transplants while thousands of lives could be impacted through the research done on the other tissue.
Hallie Thomas from Legacy Donor Services Legacy Foundation said there were five “donor heroes” at HCA in 2023. Small flags were put at the base of the large flagpole to honor them.
“That decision to give the gift of life is the most honorable one that a human can make,” she said.
LifeLink, the nonprofit organ procurement organization, was represented by Taylor Kollos. Many people locally travel to LifeLink for their care. She called donors “superstars.”
“On Monday, Jan. 3, 2005, at about 3 p.m., I heard my son Lelan say, ‘I love you Mom,’ for the last time,” Bryant said.
Bryant would recount the news that her 16-year-old son had been in a horrible crash and died.
“I knew he had organ donor on his driver’s license,” Bryant said.
She gave permission for LifeLink to take his long bones and corneas. One of his corneas went to a 68-year-old man and the other to a 47-year-old man.
“Two and a half years later, on a Friday, June 15, 2007 at about 4 p.m. I heard my daughter Danielle say, ‘I love you Mom,’ for the last time,” Bryant’s voice cracked with emotion.
Sniffling could be heard in the crowd as she described the crash her daughter was in. She would succumb to her injuries three days later. LifeLink stepped into her life again as Danielle was a registered organ donor as well.
“Months later, I received letters from the three women who had received vital organs from her,” Bryant said. “Women who each got a kidney, and one that got a liver. All three of the women were mothers and that meant a lot to me. Because those children of those moms, they still have their mom because of my little girl. For that I am very grateful. That is one of the joys I received from the greatest pain any mother could ever experience because everybody knows no mother should have to bury her child. But God gave me peace and joy in my heart by allowing these mothers to have a second chance at life through my daughter.”
Bryant’s co-workers hugged her afterward.
“In honor of Donate Life Month in April, we wanted to bring awareness to the importance of being an organ donor,” HCA’s Addlyn Teague said. “Many lives are affected when you choose to give the gift of life.”