Cedars-Sinai Marks Start of Donate Life Month

WHAT

Cedar-Sinai's Comprehensive Transplant Center and Smidt Heart Institute professionals, alongside partners from OneLegacy , the nation's largest organ procurement organization, are marking National Donate Life Month by holding a commemorative procession and flag raising ceremony at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Wednesday, April 1.

At 9:10 a.m., patients and their families, physicians, nurses, therapists and more will walk together from the Comprehensive Transplant Center to the flag raising ceremony. Hip-hop star and Cedars-Sinai heart transplant patient Christopher "Kid" Reid will lead the procession.

After a short program of speakers featuring Cedars-Sinai transplant patients and surgeons, the group will raise a Donate Life flag, which will be flown at the medical center throughout the month.

WHO

• Christopher "Kid" Reid, half of the iconic rap duo Kid 'n Play and Cedars-Sinai heart transplant patient. Reid will be available for media interviews about his health journey.
• Angelica Ponce and her sister, Miranda Ponce, Cedars-Sinai kidney transplant patients. When Angelica was in renal failure due to an autoimmune disease, Miranda stepped up to be her donor.
• Chloee Tarazon, Cedars-Sinai liver transplant patient.
• Laura DiChiacchio, MD, PhD , cardiothoracic surgeon in the Smidt Heart Institute and Reid's transplant surgeon.
• Tsuyoshi Todo, MD , program director of the Abdominal Transplant Fellowship in the Comprehensive Transplant Center and Angelica Ponce's kidney transplant surgeon.
• Alonzo Urita, regional manager of hospital partnerships, OneLegacy.

WHY

April is National Donate Life Month. The procession and flag raising promotes awareness about organ, eye and tissue donation and honors those who gave the gift of life.

WHEN

Wednesday, April 1

9:10 a.m. Procession begins from Cedars-Sinai Comprehensive Transplant Center

9:30 a.m. Brief speaker presentation at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

10 a.m. Flag raising by Cedars-Sinai transplant patients

WHERE

Procession:
Cedars-Sinai Comprehensive Transplant Center
8900 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048
Approximate walk distance is 0.5 miles

Ceremony:
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Plaza Level between North & South Towers
8700 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048

CONTACT

Jillian Scholten, 949-244-2561, [email protected]