FIND A PATIENT
NTAF Celebrates National Donate Life Month
05/23/2007
News
NATIONAL TRANSPLANT ASSISTANCE FUND CELEBRATES NATIONAL DONATE LIFE MONTH AT ITS 2ND ANNUAL ORGAN DONOR AWARENESS LUNCHEON
RADNOR, Pa. –National Transplant Assistance Fund (NTAF) celebrated National Donate Life Month with its 2nd Annual Organ Donor Awareness Luncheon Friday, April 20 at the Radnor Financial Center.
More than 100 individuals attended the luncheon, where NTAF staff distributed organ donor awareness information and explained the many ways it serves transplant and catastrophic injury patients.
NTAF honored local “heroes” for their selfless acts of giving the gift of life and for their diligent efforts to increase awareness of the critical need for organ, tissue and marrow donations, as well as their efforts to increase donations.
Honorees included: donor Reverend Karen Onesti, of the Masonville Rancocas United Methodist Church, of Mount Laurel, NJ, for her selfless giving of her kidney to Rabbi Andrew Bassov, of Adath Emanu-El synagogue, of Mount Laurel; donor Joseph Marcoux, Villanova Football place kicker, who participated in the team’s annual bone marrow drive and was found a perfect match for a mother in her 50s suffering from acute medial leukemia; and Andy Talley, Villanova Football Head Coach, for his continuous efforts to raise awareness and find donors for bone marrow transplantation through his annual bone marrow drive.
NTAF Executive Director Lynne Coughlin Samson, Esq., presented each with its first NTAF Local Hero Award.
“I am humbled and so proud to be able to present these awards to three stellar individuals who have made the active choice to save the life of another through their efforts.” said, Lynne Samson, “Could anything in this world be a more meaningful legacy?”
A light, buffet-style lunch was provided.
Remarks on the importance of organ/tissue donation were made by NTAF Board Chair and Co-founder, Dr. Jack Kolff.
With more than 24 years of service to the transplant and spinal cord injury community, National Transplant Assistance Fund (NTAF)’s mission is to mobilize communities to raise funds for uninsured medical expenses. NTAF has helped patients raise more than $43.9 million, helping more than 2,800 families have access to life-saving health care.
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