OhioHealth Marion General Honors Donor Legacies with Annual Donate Life Flag Raising
Bright pinwheels dotted the lawn at OhioHealth Marion General Hospital, each one a tribute to a life that continues to make an impact.
In recognition of National Donate Life Month, the hospital partnered with Lifeline of Ohio to host a flag-raising ceremony honoring organ, eye and tissue donors, recipients and the families whose decisions have created lasting legacies of healing.
“Donor families and their extraordinary gifts remind us why we do this work,” said Jim Parobek, president of OhioHealth Marion General Hospital and OhioHealth Hardin Memorial Hospital. “We are proud to honor their legacies and the lasting impact they have on our patients, our hospital and the community.”
Over the past decade-plus, the hospital has supported 21 organ donors and 89 tissue donors, Janelle Hafer, RN, nurse educator and Marion’s liaison for organ and tissue donation, shared.
One donor’s decision can touch countless lives. A single individual can save up to eight lives through organ donation, heal as many as 75 people through tissue donation and advance research that benefits generations to come.
This year’s ceremony included remarks from sisters Jodie Haas and Nikki Malo, whose mother, Kathy, was an organ donor.
“In the midst of the worst days we’ve ever faced, our mom gave something really special; a gift to people she had never met,” Haas said. “She gave them more mornings, more birthdays, more random Tuesday afternoons none of us fully appreciate until we’re at risk of losing someone we love.”
Malo shared that the family felt supported throughout the process, describing how the hospital and Lifeline teams guided them with compassion and honored their mother’s gift with care.
This year marked the hospital’s first full year supporting Lifeline of Ohio’s placenta donation program, a lesser-known opportunity that can help patients with burns and complex wounds recover. Since the program began, the hospital has supported three placenta donations.
The ceremony concluded with a prayer, a moment of silence and the raising of the Donate Life flag.
“The flag is a symbol of hope, unity and healing,” said Charity Coffman, RN, director of nursing at Marion and Hardin. “It represents our commitment to supporting donor families, providing exceptional care to donors and inspiring conversations that may one day save a life.”
The event concluded with a reception and special thanks to donor and recipient families.
To learn more about Lifeline of Ohio, visit lifelineofohio.org.
