TAMPA — They say a picture is worth a thousand words. So LifeLink is using a campaign full of pictures to tell the story of organ donation. They call it, Be The Gift.
Alexandra Stirling and Denice Johnson reflected on the faces of organ donation by way of a series of quilts at LifeLink offices in Tampa. Stirling’s sister, Cynthia, helped save the lives of seven different people because she was an organ donor.
“It leaves a lasting memory and that means she is still with us, she is still alive, her memory is not gone,” said Stirling.
The 28-year-old collapsed while running the Boston Marathon in 2002.
“We saw her at mile 16, I believe it was. I have some pictures of her running, she looked fine, and then we went to mile 20 to catch her before the finish line but she never made it,” said Stirling.
Because of Stirling’s deep ties to organ donation, she was asked to be part of the LifeLink Be The Gift Campaign.
Stirling, along with other participants, had photos taken of them doing a hobby or performing their job duties. Stirling chose to be on a bicycle and dress like a cyclist. The idea is that everyone can be a donor and save a life.
“My hope is someone would see the pictures and see themselves, ‘oh there’s a nurse like me, or somebody that practices karate,’” said Stirling. “Hopefully, prompt them to click on the link, to find information, to ask questions.”
“I myself am a gift; this is what this is representing, so when there is a time when I can save someone else’s life, this is it,” said Johnson.
Johnson is also proud to be part of the campaign. She is a family care nurse on the front lines of organ donation following the death of a loved one.
“We offer them the opportunity and share with them that their loved one can save someone else,” said Johnson.
Johnson posed in two different outfits, her nurse uniform and a martial arts uniform.
Johnson and Stirling hope their efforts help grow the number of organ donors out there. The list of names waiting for organ transplants across the country is over 100,000.
“It has a profound impact on the person who is the recipient, on their families, on their friends,” said Stirling.
For more information, go to BeTheGiftFlorida.com
