MYRLTE BEACH, SC (WMBF) - Every 11 minutes a name is added to the national organ donor registry. If you think about it – in the time it takes the news to air, 3 more names will be on that list.
Now, Grand Strand Regional Medical Center is getting national recognition for making sure all of their patients who can be a donor know that they can give the gift of life.
"She was robbed and kidnapped in 2004," said Bobbie Buffkin. "For me personally, it was a horrible tragedy, it happened in the blink of an eye."
In that instant, Buffkin lost her daughter Susan. Fortunately, she had told her sister she wanted to be an organ donor so in our situation we were very blessed.
"There was no question in my mind but to donate her organs," said Buffkin. However, that does not always happen. It is the best way to be a donor, to let your immediate family know.
So Buffkin gets out and tells everyone she can talk to how important it is to sign up to be a donor.
"Right now in SC, roughly one thousand people are in need of a transplant. That number grows greatly when you take the whole country into account. It becomes 110,000. Mark Johnson knows that number well.
He works with Lifepoint -- an organization that makes those organ donations happen.
One area hospital is helping too. Grand Strand Regional was honored for its effort to educate patients and families about donating. It is a distinction not many hospitals can say they have.
Less than five percent of people can be organ donors, so when you do have a potential donor it's important that it is secured and can be done. Grand Strand Regional is one of six in the state that achieved that national goal.
It's a goal that's important because every name on that list of people who needs a transplant has a face and that's comforting to Buffkin.
"I feel like she lives on. We had the opportunity to meet one of her recipients. He's living today because of her. He's had three grandchildren since 2004 who he never would have met had it not been for my daughter."
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