COLUMBIA, S.C. — April is National Donate Life Month recognizing those heroes who donated organs, tissue and eyes and for encouraging others to sign up to do the same.
Donor Life SC, We Are Sharing Hope SC, and the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles kicked off the month's activities at the DMV in Blythewood with the lighting of a torch that will travel across the state for celebrations.
“One of the things we like about April is it really is a chance to elevate the dialogue about organ, tissue eye donations," says Dave Destefano, President and CEO of We Are Sharing Hope SC, "It’s to have people discuss it, talk about how valuable it is and to have people consider their organ, tissue eye donation, make that decision and then share it with their families.”
Donate Life Month also works to share the stories and importance of donor heroes like Jacob Erying, a donor who after losing his life at 20-years-old in 2015, helped to improve the health of hundreds of people with his tissue donations.
“It gave me hope again that life is good- and others will benefit from Jacob’s donation," says Pamela Erying, Jacob's mom. "When he turned 16 to get his license and found out that he had an option to donate life and donate organs and tissue and he did it he checked the box! And I said ‘are you sure you want to do this?’ and he says ‘oh yes mom and you should too!’”
At Donor Life Month’s kickoff event at the South Carolina DMV, another donor hero, Keegan Johnson was honored. Keegan was only 17 when he lost his life in February of 2020 to meningitis but has helped continue other lives with his choice to donate.
“I will talk about him as long as people will let me talk about him until his story and just the impact he made," says Keegan's mom Allison. "I’m so proud of his selfless decision to be an organ donor. I was not an organ donor before that but I am now.”
Allison lit the torch that will travel around the state to celebrate Donor Life Month.
“When you lose a child it’s horrific," Pamela Erying told News19, "We miss him terribly but what’s really great is we have this gift- our family has this gift of Jacob giving.”
National Blue and Green Day is on April 16. A moment of silence will happen at 1:08 p.m. to represent the 8 lives that 1 organ donor can save.
Click here to learn about more events happening this month.