From left, Simeon Beals, WVU Camden Clark security supervisor, and Shawn Marshall, WVU Camden Clark director of EMS, raise a flag to recognize National Donate Life Month, Tuesday at WVU Camden Clark's North Tower. (Photo by Gwen Sour)

PARKERSBURG — WVU Medicine Camden Clark Medical Center marked National Donate Life Month with a flag-raising ceremony to encourage organ donor registration and honor those who have given lifesaving gifts.

More than 100,000 people in the United States are currently waiting for a life-saving organ transplant, and officials said the need continues to exceed supply.

Jennifer Gossett, clinical preceptor for cardiovascular services and co-chair of the hospital’s donor council, opened the ceremony by emphasizing the impact of donation.

“We gather here with a shared commitment … something that has more power to change lives – organ donation,” Gossett said.

Gossett noted the far-reaching effect a single donor can have.

Jennifer Gossett shares her personal experience with organ donation during WVU Camden Clark's ceremony recognizing National Donate Life Month Tuesday morning. (Photo by Gwen Sour)

“One donor can potentially save up to eight lives through organ donation and heal more than 75 lives through tissue donation,” she said.

She also shared her family’s personal experience with organ donation, including both loss and the ability to help others.

Gossett then shared her family’s experience navigating the transplant process when her father was waiting for a life-saving organ.

“Our father was on the transplant list to receive a life-saving organ donation. We endured the highs and lows of this process and anxiously awaited the call,” she said.

She recalled the moment her family believed a transplant was possible.

Brenda Haynes shares how her late husband’s organ and tissue donations helped multiple recipients during Camden Clark’s National Donate Life Month ceremony. (Photo by Gwen Sour)

“We did finally receive that call one night, and it was one of the greatest calls that a family can ever receive,” Gossett said.

However, she said the outcome ultimately turned tragic.

“We got the devastating news that ours was not a go. The organ was non-transplantable,” she said.

Her father died just days later, but Gossett said the story did not end there. Three years later, her sister became a living donor, helping save another life.

“This is just one example of the impact that organ donation can have, not just on one family, but on everyone, maybe even the person sitting right next to you,” Gossett said.

David Kaufman, Camden Clark staff chaplain, shared a personal connection to organ donation before delivering the blessing, noting that his own family has been directly impacted. His brother-in-law received a double lung transplant this past year.

Kaufman said his brother-in-law had previously relied on oxygen full time but has since seen significant improvement.

“He is now off of supplemental oxygen, and he is living his life fully,” Kaufman said.

He said the experience reflects the broader impact organ donation can have beyond a single patient.

“Truly, this has impacted a whole community,” Kaufman said.

Kaufman then offered a blessing, recognizing both donor families and those waiting for transplants.

Martha Dawson, vice president of quality and patient safety, highlighted the hospital’s recent progress and the continued need for donors.

“These are not just numbers. They represent lives transformed, families given more time, futures restored,” Dawson said.

She added that despite progress, the need remains urgent, with about 13 people dying each day while waiting for an organ.

Jessie Borden, supervisor of donation program coordination with LifeLine of Ohio, emphasized the real-world impact of donation.

“These are the kinds of impacts that happen when people say yes to donate life,” Borden said, referencing recipients who regain abilities such as seeing, walking and returning to daily life.

Borden said the ceremony also serves to honor donors and provide hope.

The keynote speaker, Brenda Haynes, shared her family’s experience following the death of her husband, Steve Cowen, whose decision to be an organ and tissue donor helped multiple recipients.

Haynes said the donation process was emotionally difficult but meaningful.

“The first time I’ve been doing this, and it was very hard,” Haynes said.

Haynes detailed how different parts of her husband’s donation helped others, including restoring sight through cornea donation.

“We got a letter in the mail saying that he made two people be able to see,” she said.

She also referenced additional donations, noting that his organs and tissues were used to help others beyond those recipients, illustrating the wide-reaching impact of a single donor.

Haynes said her family was supported throughout the process by hospital staff.

“The nurses that took care of them were very … very good to us,” she said.

Hospital officials said the annual observance serves as both a tribute to donors and a call to action for others to consider registering as organ donors.