MONROE, LA –The Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency (LOPA) and St. Francis Medical Center are hosting a “Wall of Heroes and Flag Raising” recognition on Thursday, April 4, 2024, at 10 a.m. in Anna Gray Noe Park across from the downtown hospital campus, 309 Jackson Street, in Monroe. Pictures and stories of organ and tissue donors from St. Francis Medical Center are displayed inside the hospital and recognized as the "Wall of Heroes." Donor families, first responders, hospital, and LOPA staff will be present for the program to honor seven additional heroes who gave the ultimate gift of life. After the program, attendees will be asked to pause while the LOPA Donate Life flag is raised near the front entrance of the hospital.
Local, state, and national events like St. Francis Medical Center’s “Wall of Heroes” and flag raising ceremony help to draw awareness for donation and encourage people to become registered donors. Hospitals throughout the state of Louisiana are celebrating National Donate Life Month and will begin a 30-day initiative to raise awareness about the critical need for individuals to register as organ, eye, and tissue donors by participating in flag raising ceremonies, donor drives, and educational outreach programs.
There are over 106,000 people on the national transplant waiting list and over 2,000 of those people are right here in our state of Louisiana. Fortunately, one donor can save up to eight lives through organ donation and enhance the lives of up to 75 individuals through tissue donation. To learn more about donation you can visit LOPA’s website at lopa.org or call 1-800-521-GIVE.