HUNTINGTON ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” People gathered in the entrances of Cabell Huntington Hospital and St. MaryÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s Medical Center on Thursday morning for Donate Life flag raising ceremonies.
The events honor those whoÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ve been affected by organ donation and raises awareness about becoming an organ donor. It also kicks off Donate Life Month, held every April since 2003.
Jennifer Johnson, chaplain and manager of pastoral care at CHH, welcomed attendees to the ceremony, which was moved inside due to rain.
She noted that there will be a special tree planting service honoring donors from Cabell Huntington Hospital on April 30.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œAs these trees grow and thrive, they serve as symbols of the life given and received here at Cabell Huntington Hospital and through the network for life,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Johnson said.
She said she hopes to donate an organ someday because it would be an opportunity to bless someone else.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œI think we should be good stewards of everything ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” ourselves, our time, our resources ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” and it seems to me that being an organ donor is a great way to be a good steward of myself,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Johnson said.
Later Thursday morning, the Rev. Greg Creasy, director of spiritual care and mission at SMMC, began the event at that hospital with a prayer.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œWhen we think about our bodies as a gift from God, being created in the image of God, I really feel like that we are able then to in some way give that gift and give the presence of God to other people. So yes, I think there is a spiritual component to (organ donation), and I think the spiritual component of the sanctity of life and when we understand that this is a life that God has given to us,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Creasy said.
A kidney donor and recipient were invited to share their story at each event.
Tom Adams is the retired director of Boyd County EMS and a kidney recipient.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œI was, for the most part, absolutely healthy until Christmas Eve 2019 and I got out of bed and I went down the hall and suddenly the room started to spin. I couldnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t stand up, even holding the walls, my wife almost had to carry me to sit on the sofa,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Adams said, recalling how he suddenly had to call on his EMS workers to get him to the hospital.
After a few days in the hospital and a kidney biopsy, his doctors told him he was in stage four kidney failure.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œIÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™d had an injury likely caused by medication, which they think was an antibiotic that I was using for a sinus infection at the time and I had a dormant diabetic disease that the injury woke up, and so I went from 0 to stage 4 in just weeks,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ he said.
Adams was eventually told heÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™d need a kidney transplant and his best chance was to find a living donor. His children posted in Facebook groups, which is how his friend Rodney Mullannix found out about his need. He started the screening process almost immediately.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œAnd IÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™m at work and IÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™m driving and I get a phone call from, a good friend, Rodney, and he goes, ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥˜Well, I got news for you,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ and I said, ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥˜What?ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ He said, ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥˜IÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™m a match.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ I said, ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥˜A match for what?ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ Because I had no clue that heÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™d gone through the screening,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Adams said.
They were approved for the transplant on July 25, 2023.
Mullannix is a retired firefighter from Lexington, Kentucky. Adams was MullannixÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s wifeÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s EMT instructor; she grew up in Ashland. Adams even videotaped their wedding.
Mullannix and Adams want to encourage more people to consider being organ donors.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œIf anybody ever has a question about it, there is no negative. The emotional and the mental side of it has been such a positive for me. IÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™m actually in a better place emotionally and mentally than IÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ve ever been in my life since doing this,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Mullannix said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œIt is absolutely worth it. ... People say itÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s a gift for him, itÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s just as much for me.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
Barry Massa, CEO of Network for Life, said last year, 22 organs were transplanted through eight organ donors at Cabell Huntington Hospital. There were also 10 tissue donors and 12 cornea donors.
At St. MaryÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s, 23 organs were transplanted through eight organ donors in 2024. There were also 12 tissue donors and 20 cornea donors.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œThe purpose of the National Donate Life Month and why we are raising the Donate Life flag is to say thank you to the entire entire staff at Cabell Huntington Hospital for your important role in facilitating organ, tissue, and eye donation,ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ Massa said. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œThe Donate Life flag is a national symbol of unity, remembrance, and most of all, hope. All of us here today are united in the mission to save, heal, and change lives in our community.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
Anyone can register as an organ donor when applying for or renewing a hunting or fishing license, through the or at the DMV. You can also register as an organ donor in the .
