COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) — April is Donate Life Month and Piedmont Columbus Regional’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council hosted their inaugural “Leap to Donate” event. 

The council’s mission – promote organ donation and bring awareness to the gap in organ donors among minority populations. 

More than 104-thousand people across the country are still waiting for their gifts of life, including more than 3,400 Georgians. The event featured multiple speakers including Mayor Skip Henderson, Piedmont leadership and multiple patient testimonials. 

One patient was overwhelmed as she told her story. Gretchen Jackson began dialysis treatments in 2019 after being diagnosed with end stage kidney disease.

After waiting patiently for two and a half years, her transplant day finally came on July 11, 2022. It’s been 9 months since… and the emotions are just as fresh. 

“The day before I received the call, I had just got a shipment of my dialysis solution and I told God, I forgot this is going to be my last card using this treatment because I know you’re about to do something marvelous in my life,” said Jackson. “You’re about to send me a transplant. And later on that evening, y’all, I received a call that they had a transplant.”

A visual dedication to their mission was raising a flag that read: Donate Life. And the parking lot was also closed off where guests could visit booths educating people on organ donation and enjoy games.

Visit www.LifeLinkFoundation.org or call 1-800-544-6667 for more information about organ and tissue donation.