Avoyelles Hospital honors National Donate Life Month

MARKSVILLE, La. (KALB) - Several different things are celebrated and recognized during the month of April, including the gift of life through organ donations.

Avoyelles Hospital and the Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency, known as “LOPA”, raised a flag in honor of National Donate Life Month.

During a special event at Avoyelles Hospital, organ donors, their families and organ donation recipients were honored.

The month is also a time to raise awareness for organ donation.

For the family of Sawyer Ridgeway, they learned that their little boy’s organs saved two lives after he tragically passed away in December 2021 at the age of three just a few days before Christmas.

“Sawyer’s pulmonary valves were sent to a child in Missouri and his aortic valves were sent to a child here in Louisiana. And because of that, two children’s lives, they have a better quality of life,” said his mother, Tiffany Dauzat.

Sawyers’ family had the honor of raising the flag for National Donate Life Month at the event. Now, they encourage others to consider becoming an organ donor.

Surrounded by Sawyers’ father and siblings, Dauzat said, “For those of you thinking of becoming an organ donor, if you’re not already, I would say yes. You have the opportunity to save someone else’s life.”

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