Photo courtesy of Jenette Garbarz
COLUMBIANA, Ohio (WKBN) – April is recognized nationwide as Donate Life Month. It serves to encourage Americans to register as organ and tissue donors and to celebrate those who have saved lives through the ultimate gift like Columbiana’s Tom Garbarz.
Garbarz was a husband, father of four, and now a forever hero. He died in 2022 of a brain bleed but ended up being a perfect match for an individual desperately needing a transplant.
“My husband saved a life the same day he was pulled off life support,” said Jenette Garbarz, Tom’s wife.
Doctors said the recipient probably would’ve died before they found a perfect match for him because he was far down on the donor list.
“It’s incredibly difficult to go through, but Lifebanc made it just incredible,” Garbarz said.
Lifebanc is an organization that coordinates all of the organ and tissue donations in Northeast Ohio, covering 20 counties and 80 hospitals.
“There’s about 1,700 people waiting for organ transplant right here at the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals. About one person dies every other day in Ohio because an organ’s not available,” said Gordan Bowen, CEO of Lifebanc.
Bowen said they’re trying to eliminate that list. In order to do that, they need more people to say yes to donation.
“One of the greatest things, for me personally, you can do at the end of your life is to be a hero to a perfect stranger, and there’s no better gift than to give the gift of life,” Bowen said.
Individuals can register to be an organ donor at their local BMV or over on Lifebanc’s website.
People are also encouraged to wear blue and green all month in support of donors like Tom Garbarz and those in need of a transplant.