NEWBERRY COUNTY — We Are Sharing Hope SC (SHSC), the state’s organ and tissue recovery program, hosted its third annual Coroners Hope Award Ceremony on June 10 to celebrate the significant contributions of S.C. coroners to lifechanging organ, eye and tissue donation in South Carolina, recognizing work performed in 2020.
Part of the annual South Carolina Coroners conference, the awards represent the strong partnership between SHSC and coroner’s offices across the state.
SHSC awarded four coroners for their outstanding efforts to support the gift of life in South Carolina, to include Newberry County Coroner, Laura Kneece — Certificate of Appreciation; given in thanks for Kneece consistently working to ensure all shared cases are able to move forward with donation.
Local coroners are key partners in making organ and tissue donation possible in S.C. By working together, SHSC and coroners honor the legacies of South Carolinians who have registered to be lifesaving donors.
“Our S.C. coroners around the state are helping save and heal lives through donation,” Dave DeStefano, president/CEO of SHSC, said. “Together, We Are Sharing Hope SC and our coroner partners are making strides to honor more legacies, change more lives and better serve our communities.”
One organ, eye and tissue donor can save eight lives, heal more than 75 lives and give two people back their sight. S.C. donors like tissue donor hero Jacob Eyring restore the lives of hundreds of people by saying “yes” to donation. Eyring’s gifts healed more than 350 recipients, including a veteran from Texas who was exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War.
“Our son, Jacob, didn’t hesitate to register to be a donor when he received his driver’s license at age 16, and four years later he became a donor hero when he gave more than 350 gifts through tissue donation,” said Pam Eyring, S.C. donor mom and SHSC Heroes for Hope volunteer. “His unselfish decision gave mobility and a restored quality of life to recipients in desperate need. I am a proud donor mom.”
Donated organs and tissues like heart valves and skin grafts donated to burn victims are lifesaving gifts. Other tissue donations help heal and restore recipients such as athletes with sports injuries (including torn ACLs, hamstrings and meniscuses) and women recovering from breast cancer who undergo breast reconstructive surgeries.
In 2020, organ, eye and tissue donors across the country saved more than 39,000 lives, gave more than 50,000 Americans back their sight and healed more than two million people. Learn more about donation at SharingHopeSC.org and register to be an organ, eye and tissue donor at RegisterMe.org.
We Are Sharing Hope SC (SHSC) is the state’s federally designated, non-profit organ and tissue recovery program. Through public education, hospital partnerships and donor family support, the teams at SHSC work every day to inspire our community, offer hope and change lives through the gift of organ, eye and tissue donation.