A group of 48 students traveled to Pittsburgh on March 3 to visit the Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE) facility and gain knowledge on the importance of organ donation. 

Physical education teacher Thomas Palfey organized the trip, as he aimsxs to educate students about the impact of organ and tissue donation. The OTDA (Organ Tissue Donation Awareness) grant supports the trip.

“Through the OTDA grant they were able to pay for the bus and cover for our substitutes,” Palfey said. “I think it’s important to bring students that are in ninth and 10th grade to learn about this now, so when it’s their time to drive they will be more likely to become an organ donor.”

CORE representatives guided students through the organ, cornea and tissue donation process explaining the medical and ethical aspects in donation while also uncovering the truth of believed myths.

“A lot of the reason that people don’t register as organ donors is because of misinformation, so we feel the more we can educate people, especially at a young age, the more likely they are to register and hopefully save an heal lives when their time comes,” CORE educator Sara Chesler said. 

Sophomore Adeline Botteicher attended the trip and felt that the information was valuable for all students to learn. 

“I feel like a lot of younger people don’t understand how important it is, and how many people are in need,” Botteicher said. “It’s important for us to be educated on this.” 

CORE is one of 57 federally designated non-profit organizations in the U.S. responsible for coordinating organ, tissue and cornea donation. According to the organization, one donor can save up to eight lives and enhance the lives of many more through tissue donation.

Students were able to witness this as they heard from a CORE recipient and a donor family. 

“I liked to say a hero lives inside of all of us, and truly my hero lives inside of me everyday,” liver recipient Joanne Crocker said. 

“Be a hero. Be an organ donor,” Chesler said. 

Jacob Grady was an organ donor who passed at the age of 21. Because of Grady, five people’s lives have changed. 

Students returned to Altoona with a deeper appreciation for the importance of organ donation as around 113,000 people are waiting for a transplant. To learn more about CORE and how to become an organ donor visit their website at www.core.org.