FLINT –  The families of Michigan organ donors will be among those attending the unveiling of a new Memorial Wall at Hurley Medical Center on January 18, 2013 at 10 a.m. The special ceremony will take place in the Main Lobby of Hurley Medical Center. The memorial wall, the first of its kind in the region, will include photos of organ donors, and will be located in the corridor adjacent to Hurley Medical Center’s chapel on the Ground Floor.

“We are so honored to have such a special wall, recognizing the organ donors whose lives live on, thanks to their amazing gift. The work Hurley does collaboratively with organ donation is a strong testament to the clinical excellence and education we do here, around the clock,” according to Melany Gavulic, RN, MBA, President and Chief Executive Officer at Hurley Medical Center.

“Hurley Medical Center’s new donor memorial wall is a beautiful tribute to organ, eye and tissue donors who gave new life so others can live,” said Richard Pietroski, CEO of Gift of Life Michigan, the state’s only federally designated organ recovery organization. “The wall also is a reminder to us all that we have the power to heal lives.” 

The Gift of Life Foundation, a separate organization that supports Gift of Life’s mission, provided the funding for this project, which reflects the collaboration between Hurley Medical Center, Gift of Life and all of our donation partners. It gives hope to the nearly 3,100 people in Michigan and the 116,800 people nationwide who need a life-saving organ transplant.

Hurley Medical Center was among the hospitals recognized nationally in October, 2012 for outstanding accomplishments in organ donation. Medals of Honor are granted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In past years, Hurley Medical Center has won multiple U.S. Organ Donation Medals of Honor from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and has also received the Shining Star Award from Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land for exemplary leadership and outstanding work in promoting organ and tissue donation. 

Hurley’s work with Gift of Life is helping save lives. In 2012, 269 organ donors provided 792 organs to waiting recipients in Michigan. On average, 17 Michigan patients receive an organ transplant each week. One organ donor can save up to eight lives; one tissue donor can transform the lives of up to 50 people.  

To join the Michigan Organ Donor Registry and get a red heart emblem for your Michigan drivers’ license or state ID, go to www.giftoflifemichigan.org . 

MEDIA: Parking will be reserved for this special event. Interviews with organ donor  families will be available, along with Hurley Medical Center clinical staff and Gift of Life representatives. To RSVP, contact Ilene Cantor, Administrator, Marketing, Community and Public Relations at Hurley Medical Center at 810-262-7164 or icantor1@hurleymc.com.

Hurley Medical Center is a 443-bed premier public teaching hospital located in the heart of Genesee County, Michigan.  As the region’s only Level I Trauma Center, Level II Pediatric Center (Genesee, Lapeer, Shiawassee Counties), Burn Center, and the highest level Neonatal Intensive Care Unit available in Genesee County, Hurley is a recognized leader in clinical care and education, maintaining affiliations with Michigan State University, the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, the University of Michigan-Flint, Mott Community College, Henry Ford Health System and Detroit Medical Center. Founded in 1908, Hurley provides patient care for more than 100,000 people annually.