A Butler County teenager is one of the faces of a new statewide marketing campaign to promote organ donation.
Luke Ball of Cranberry Township was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect before he was even born. He had three major heart surgeries before his second birthday. After suffering from a severe seizure and placed on the heart transplant waiting list, he received a new heart at 6 years old. He is now 13 and healthy.
Luke’s story will appear on Donate Life Pennsylvania’s social media and in paid advertisements across the state encouraging people to register as donors. The campaign is titled ‘The Human Side of Donation’ and shines a light on the people and families personally affected by donation. The concept is loosely based on Humans of New York.
“In our work, we see the incredible impact of organ donation over and over again. One person can save up to eight lives and help improve the quality of life for 100 people. Highlighting the real-life stories of organ donation underscores why everyone should register as an organ and tissue donor. It only takes 30 seconds to register, but the impact can span years,” Susan Stuart, president and CEO of the Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE) in Pittsburgh, said in a statement.
Nearly 8,000 people in Pennsylvania are currently on the waiting list for a life-saving organ transplant, showing the critical need for more individuals to register. Anyone, regardless of age or medical history, can sign up to be a donor.
You can register here.
Click here to watch Luke’s story.
