onate Life Month with an educational presentation and panel discussion on April 8, bringing together medical professionals, donors, recipients and community members to highlight the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation.
The event began with a presentation by Kristen Conte, director of the Lions Eye Bank for Long Island at the hospital, followed by a panel moderated by eye bank technician Nootshy Romage. Panelists included Kaileen Puppo, program director of organ donation at Northwell Health and co-chair of Gift of Life BERG; Daritza Peña, supervisor of imaging services at the hospital and a living kidney donor; Sharon Furrer, a member of the Lions Club of North Babylon and a corneal transplant recipient; Tatiana Rodriguez, project manager of hospital operations and a donor family member; and Father Eugene Umeyor, a priest and chaplaincy representative at the hospital.
Presentation highlights scope and need for donation
Conte’s presentation focused on both the life-saving and life-enhancing impact of donation, as well as the process behind it. She explained that a single organ donor can save up to eight lives, while tissue donation, including bone, skin, veins, and heart valves, can help dozens more. Corneal donation alone can restore sight to two people.
She emphasized that many people mistakenly believe they are not eligible to donate. Conditions such as poor eyesight do not necessarily prevent corneal donation, and eligibility is determined through medical evaluation rather than assumptions.
“There are a lot of ways that we can kind of approach this,” Conte said. “One of the biggest ways is that we want to have community and hospital outreach. Our mission is to build awareness, inspire people to become donors, and we try to partner with our hospitals and different community groups. To do this, we want to ensure that people are empowered to make these decisions in an informed way, and the only way to do that is to have the discussion beforehand.”
Conte also outlined how the donation process works, beginning at the time of death and continuing through medical screening, family discussions, consent and eventual transplantation. She noted that the timeline varies depending on the type of donation, but involves coordination between hospitals, organ procurement organizations and recovery teams.
To illustrate the urgency of donation, Conte presented national data showing the scale of need across the United States. Approximately every eight minutes, another person is added to the national transplant waiting list, contributing to a total of more than 100,000 people currently awaiting an organ. She also noted that about 13 people die each day while waiting for a transplant, highlighting the gap between available donors and patients in need.
Additional statistics showed that the majority of those waiting — 86 percent — need a kidney, one of the few organs that can be donated by a living person.
Closer to home, more than 8,000 people in New York State are currently on the transplant waiting list. While more than half of eligible adults in the state are registered donors, Conte noted that registration rates vary significantly by region, reinforcing the need for continued outreach and education within local communities.
She stressed that one of the most important steps individuals can take is to discuss their wishes with family members in advance. Without prior knowledge, families are often asked to make decisions in moments of grief, which can further complicate the situation.
Panelists share personal experiences and perspectives
The panel discussion provided insight into the realities of donation through both professional experience and personal stories.
Puppo addressed common misconceptions about organ donation, including beliefs about age limits and medical eligibility. She explained that there is no strict age cutoff and that many medical conditions do not automatically disqualify someone from donating. She also clarified that a person’s status as a registered donor does not affect the level of medical care they receive, emphasizing that all efforts to save a patient’s life are made before donation is ever considered.
She described the process that follows when a patient becomes a potential donor, including how hospitals work with organ procurement organizations and how families are supported in making decisions. When individuals are registered donors, she noted, it can ease the burden on families during difficult moments.
Peña shared her experience as a living kidney donor, describing how she chose to be evaluated after learning that someone she knew needed a transplant.
“At the time I was younger, I was healthy,” Peña said. “I’m seeing this man who’s 43 years old, with a beautiful family, he has three kids, the youngest was four. His wife was very young, and he was running a business. When I saw that, everyone who signed up did not qualify, did not meet the guidelines that they needed to meet. I decided to get tested. I just decided I’ve always been a woman of faith, and I believe in service. I just didn’t know this type of service I was going to do, but I signed up.
“I was like, ‘What are the chances? He is Caucasian and Jewish; I’m Hispanic. And I’m not going to be a match.’ I was the only match. I felt like it was meant to be. I was his last choice before going on the list, and going three hours, three days a week on dialysis. There’s no way you can run a business like that. So, I decided to move forward.”
Furrer spoke about her experience as a corneal transplant recipient. After initially seeking treatment for what she believed were cataracts, she learned she had a condition that would lead to vision loss without a transplant. She described the moment she realized the significance of receiving donated tissue and the impact the procedure had on her life, allowing her to regain her sight and continue daily activities.
“I was going to lose my vision, and I had no clue about any of that, and because of someone’s generosity and the family that supported that decision, and I am so meticulous about my corneas, they are so well-kept,” Furrer said.
Rodriguez shared the perspective of a donor family member following the loss of her father. She explained that she was initially uncertain about the donation process, but learned that her father was a registered donor. That knowledge helped guide her decision and provided clarity during a difficult time. She described how the experience shifted her family’s focus from loss to the lives her father was able to impact through donation.
Father Umeyor addressed the role of faith in end-of-life decisions. He explained that families often seek guidance when faced with questions about donation, particularly regarding beliefs about the body and religious practices. As a chaplain, his role is to listen, provide support and help individuals understand how their beliefs relate to donation. He noted that donation is often viewed as an act of charity and compassion.
Encouraging awareness and conversation
Throughout the event, speakers emphasized the importance of education and open discussion. They encouraged attendees to learn more about donation, share information with others and consider registering as donors.
By combining factual information with personal experiences, the program aimed to provide a clearer understanding of organ and tissue donation and its impact. Organizers highlighted that raising awareness and having conversations in advance can help individuals and families make informed decisions and ultimately save lives.
