On August 21, Samaritan Hospital held its first Honor Walk in recognition of an organ donor. The donor, a 39-year-old woman from Troy, was admitted to Samaritan on August 18 after suffering cardiac arrest, from which she would not recover.
For the donor’s family, the walk from the Intensive Care Unit to the Operating Room, is often referred to as “the loneliest walk.” By lining the hallways in silent tribute, staff were able to support the family as they said their last goodbyes, as well as support the patient’s heroic last act in saving someone else’s life. Visitors, including one woman who herself was an organ recipient, also participated.
The walk was coordinated with help from the Center for Donation and Transplant New York – Vermont (CDT). The CDT reports two lives were saved from this woman’s selfless act of generosity. One person underwent a successful liver transplant, another a successful kidney transplant.
The CDT was established in 1972 and is one of 58 federally designated non-profit organ procurement organizations in the United States. It serves a population of 2.7 million people across 30 counties in New York, Vermont, as well as in Berkshire County, Massachusetts. CDT works in partnership with 43 hospitals, including Samaritan Hospital.
For more information on organ donation: https://www.cdtny.org/donation/register/
