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Recipients emphasize importance of organ donation

By Mark Maroney 5 min read

A Williamsport kidney transplant recipient and a man who received a double-lung organ transplant were among those raising awareness recently to the importance of registering to become an organ or tissue donor.

City resident Mari-Sartin-Tarm, 36, a kidney recipient, and Steve Metz, 65, of Northeast Philadelphia, a double-lung organ recipient, joined UPMC and Gift of Life staff Friday to raise the Donate Life flag outside the Williamsport campus.

The two organ transplant recipients and representatives from UPMC Williamsport and the Gift of Life Donor Program shared their stories as part of National Donate Life Month, observed every April to encourage individuals to register as organ, eye and tissue donations and recognize the profound impact of the selfless action.

Mari said she was diagnosed with childhood cancer, had that kidney removed, and blood appeared again in her urine -- this time as an adult in 2019. Eventually, her donor was her own uncle, Michael, who had completed eight marathons and was approaching age 60.

"I am incredibly grateful to be here, go to work, wake up in the morning without fatigue and pain," said Mari, a patient care technician for UPMC and a nursing student.

"I'm here today because of my angel," said Metz, a structural engineer, who said he went to work one day, started a CAD program and fell off his desk. Thinking it was a heart attack, tests revealed he had late-stage Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Referred to Temple Heart and Lung Center and Gift of Life – which was responsible for getting him a 22-year-old donor, he said he received the transplant on June 1, 2023, after a seven-year wait.

He thanked his doctors and medical and rehab teams, and the most important person "my angel donor without him or her I would not be standing here."

"They say angels (whether you believe in them or not) ... they are here," Metz said. "They are in this room. They are amongst us and you never know which one is going to be an angel. It could be the person standing next to you, it could be the person across the hall, but they are here. I am living proof. Because of an angel I am here."

"The donors who give the gift of a chance to live, the recipients who receive the possibility of a brand new day and many new days ahead and the wonderful people who compassionately and competently bring the givers and the receivers together. These are the people we celebrate today, and they are not simply visiting this world. They are transforming it," said the Rev. John Charnock, director, Mission Integration/Ethics, UPMC Williamsport, before officials gathered for the Donate Life and Flag Raising Ceremony at the UPMC campus in Williamsport.

Heidi Weeder, BSN-RN, senior clinician – Organ & Tissue Donation Council chair, welcomed the guests and offered them to stay and have refreshments and take keepsake photographs.

Austin Williams, senior developer of business development at Gift of Life, also before the flag raising humbly shared an overview of the Gift of Life and Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania's (HAP) Donate Life Pennsylvania Hospital Challenge.

"We join together to celebrate National Donate Life Month and mark the 50th anniversary of the Gift of Life Donor Program, our decades of unwavering commitment to saving lives and offering hope to families across the region," Williams said.

"This milestone year challenges us to continue the legacy by registering 50,000 new organ donors and deepening our partnership throughout the healthcare community," he said, adding that Gift of Life was proud to recognize UPMC Williamsport and UPMC North-Central Health System for their outstanding commitment to donation. "We look forward to celebrating continued excellence here in 2025."

Patti Jackson, President, UPMC North Central Pa. and UPMC Williamsport, cited the value of raising awareness for transplants.

"We raised the flag and honor and celebrate donors, transplant recipients, those awaiting the gift of life, our patients, families and dedicated transplant clinical care teams across the commonwealth and nation," she said.

UPMC is a leader in organ transplantation. While surgeries are not performed here, the facility hosts kidney and liver transplant evaluation clinics in Williamsport, bringing top-notch specialists to the region, ensuring quality care without the need to travel.

"The journey for a transplant can be very long and challenging," she said.

"We want to show our commitment to the community but want each of you if you haven't already considered becoming a donor. It is very easy to do and if interested go to upmc.com/donatelife.

"It is a selfless act and doesn't always save one life, it saves many lives.

I hope that our efforts all year long in educating our communities, and events like this to raise awareness will continue well into the rest of the year and we will raise the cause and more people will get involved."

As they raised the Donate Life Month Flag they also raised awareness. The flag stands as a powerful symbol and reminder of the critical need for organ and tissue donations and an invitation ... to take action.

"We encourage everyone in our communities to register as an organ donor and share that decision with your loved ones," said Karlie Barone, Gift of Life representative. "By doing so, you may one day save or heal the lives of others.

"We give this flag in gratitude in remembrance and with a shared commitment to honoring the gift of life."

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