New England Donor Services to Join State and Local Officials to Recognize Heart Recipients Ahead of Valentine’s Day & National Donor Day
February 5, 2025Press Release
Newburyport
February 5, 2025
New England Donor Services to Join State and Local Officials to Recognize Heart Recipients Ahead of Valentine’s Day & National Donor Day
Newburyport Mayor Reardon, State Sen Tarr, RMV Registrar Ogilvie & local heart recipients to attend Feb. 12th event to raise awareness of NEDS “Have a Heart and get a Heart” campaign
NEWBURYPORT, MA – On Wednesday, February 12th at 11:00 AM ET, state and local officials and New England Donor Services (NEDS) will join with local donor recipients and families Newburyport City Hall to honor the incredible gift of life ahead of National Donor Day, celebrated on February 14th. As part of the organization’s “Have a Heart and get a Heart” campaign, which takes place during National Heart Month and Valentine’s Day, the event will feature two local heart transplant recipients. Stephanie McCarthy of Ipswich, who received a life-saving heart transplant in March 2024, will share her impactful story to help spread awareness of the importance of organ and tissue donation. Bob Blanchard, the former chief of the Wenham Fire Department, who received his heart transplant in September 2023, will also share his incredible story.
State Senator Bruce Tarr, Newburyport Mayor Sean Reardon, and Massachusetts RMV Registrar Colleen Ogilvie will commemorate those who have given the gift of life, their families, and those still waiting for life-saving transplants, and encourage their constituents to register as organ donors. The event comes as NEDS has achieved a record number of life-saving deceased donor organ donations and transplants in its New England service area for four consecutive years. In 2024, 648 deceased donors donated organs resulting in 1,570 life-saving transplants. This record level of clinical activity places NEDS among the nation’s top three organ procurement organizations by donor volume. Since 2020, NEDS has increased the annual number of organ donors by 80 percent.
WHO:
The event will include:
Newburyport Mayor Sean Reardon
State Senator Bruce Tarr
Colleen Ogilvie, Registrar of the Massachusetts RMV
Stephanie McCarthy, Heart Transplant Recipient & NEDS Volunteer
Bob Blanchard, Heart Transplant Recipient & NEDS Volunteer
Matt Boger, Director of Government Relations, New England Donor Services (NEDS)
WHEN:
Wednesday, February 12, 2024 11:00 AM ET
WHERE:
Newburyport City Hall
60 Pleasant St.
Newburyport, MA 01950
About New England Donor Services (NEDS)
New England Donor Services is a leading nonprofit organization that coordinates organ and tissue donation in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, the eastern counties of Vermont and Bermuda. Co-founded in 1968 by Nobel Laureate Dr. Joseph Murray, who performed the world’s first successful organ transplant, today NEDS works with thousands of donors and donor families who have generously made the decision to give the gift of life. The organization’s highly skilled staff medically screen referrals for potential donations from more than 200 hospitals across the region and lead all donor authorization discussions with families. NEDS also allocates organs according to the national transplant waiting list and coordinates their transport to ensure the right organs get to the right patients at the right time. Learn more at https://neds.org/ or follow us on LinkedIn or on X at @NEDonorServices.
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Contact:
Anneke Butkus
Account Executive | Slowey McManus Communications
e: abutkus@sloweymcmanus.com
p: 732-551-4076
w: sloweymcmanus.com
11 Beacon St #1224. Boston, MA 02108
