WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — April is Donate Life Month, a month dedicated to thanking organ donors and raising awareness about the importance of becoming one. One man has made it his mission to get people to register, not just during the month of April, but always.
It is not hard to tell which house is Keith Chalmers' in Wilkes-Barre. Gift of Life signs are proudly displayed in his yard. He says he kissed the sidewalks nine years ago when he got home from the hospital.
"I've heard a lot of excuses why people don't want to become organ donors. 'I'm taking these organs with me.' No, you're not taking them anywhere. You may be able to save someone's life," he said.
For Chalmers, an organ donor saved his life. On March 12, 2015, he was accepted into the lung transplant program and was put on the list. Two weeks later, on March 29, Chalmers received a double lung transplant. Now, he wants to inspire others to become organ donors, too.
"I'm an ambassador for Gift of Life. I go out and speak just like I'm doing here. I give back freely what was so freely given to me," Chalmers said.
Every Friday this month, Chalmers will be at Geisinger Wyoming Valley, raising awareness for Donate Life Month and in his work with Gift of Life, Chalmers met the Barrasse family.
"People in the organ transplant community are starting to hear about us and know we're a resource for them. So, the money we raise all goes back into our community," said Joseph Barrasse.
Joseph's brother, Scranton native Cody Barrasse, was 22 years old when he died from a head injury after getting hit by a car in 2013. Since then, his family has made it their mission to turn their tragedy into an inspiring energy to encourage and support organ donation. The Cody Barrasse Foundation has helped more than 60 families here in Pennsylvania, and Keith Chalmers is one of them. The foundation has given him $10,000 to help him with his medical bills and the costs associated with getting to his doctor appointments in Philadelphia.
"Your small sacrifice helps save so many lives. Take a look at my brother: he was able to affect nine lives with his organs and countless more with his tissues and corneas," Barrasse said.
You can learn more about Donate Life and sign up to become an organ donor by clicking here.