UPMC Williamsport recently had two important guests.

Mari-Sartin-Tarm and Steve Metz are recipients of donated organs, and they shared their stories on how organ donation saved their lives.

“I am incredibly grateful to be here, go to work, wake up in the morning without fatigue and pian,” Mari-Sartin-Tarm told the audience at the event, as reported in Monday’s Sun-Gazette.

“I’m here today because of my angel,” Metz said.

We are grateful that the compassion of our neighbors and friends who agreed to organ donation was able to save their lives and so many other lives.

And we hope their important stories are a catalyst for more people in our region and across our nation to recognize how vital being an organ donor is.

The Gift of Life Donor Program notes that one single donor can save as many as eight lives. More than 48,000 Americans received a life-saving transplant in 2024, the first time yearly transplants exceeded that threshold, according to the organization’s website. Nationally, there are more than 100,000 people on a waiting list for an organ transplant.

These numbers reveal how important organ donation is to so many lives — and how so many families need more people to recognize the critical need for organ donation and to volunteer.

People inspired by these stories and numbers can register by visiting upmc.com/donatelife.

We doubt we can say it better than Karlie Barone of the Gift of Life organization said it at UPMC Williamsport’s event.

“We encourage everyone in our communities to register as an organ donor and share that decision with your loved ones,” she said.

Please — please, take her words to heart.