MILFORD, Delaware (WPVI) — There is good news for the 5,000 people awaiting life-saving organ transplants in our region. The Gift of Life says transplants are back on pace after taking a dive early in the pandemic.
“They stopped my fiance at the door, and said – you can’t come in. Nobody’s allowed in,” recalls Rebecca Elkins of Milford, Delaware.
Just as COVID-19 cases started to spike here, Rebecca went into liver failure, and into a Delaware hospital – alone.
She was transferred to Einstein Medical Center to await a transplant, put on a separate floor, far from COVID-19 patients. Staff took extra steps to prevent infections and make her comfortable.
“They knew that going into a transplant by yourself was scary. I feel like they really showed me that they were there for me,” said Rebecca.
Rick Hasz, Vice President for Clinical Services at the Gift of Life, says early on, the donor program revamped procedures to keep organ recipients and transplant coordinators safe. The coordinators spend hours, even days, in the ICU with potential donors. They even go into the operating room.
Read the full story here!