A Life-Saving Decision: Why Organ Donation Matters in Our Community

When Organ Donation Becomes Personal

At Tower Health, the need for organ donation is not abstract - it's personal.

For more than a year, one of our occupational therapists, Amanda Kuzo, has been waiting for a kidney transplant and will soon begin nightly dialysis, even as she remains asymptomatic five years after her diagnosis.

Reading Hospital, Phoenixville Hospital, and Pottstown Hospital remain committed to supporting the health and well-being of our teams and neighbors.

Yet for thousands of people like those we serve, lifesaving treatment through organ transplants isn't immediate. It can take months or even years before the care they need becomes available. More than 100,000 people nationwide are waiting for a transplant, and every day, lives are lost because a donor organ isn't available on time.

Because organ and tissue donation affects every community we serve, our hospitals are proud to join together and participate in The Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania (HAP) Donate Life Challenge in partnership with Gift of Life Donor Program.

Gift of Life Donor Program, one of the nation's leading organ procurement organizations, plays a critical role in giving patients a second chance at life. In 2025, the program coordinated nearly 2,000 organ transplants and more than 2,400 cornea donations. Hundreds of patients received life-saving kidneys, livers, and hearts, while thousands benefited from tissue donations that restored sight and improved quality of life.

Organ donation is not a distant issue. In our region alone, about 4,500 children and adults are waiting for life-saving organ transplants, and thousands more could benefit from tissue donations. These are our neighbors, friends, and family members, and their futures depend on choices we make today.

As emergency care physicians, we see both the urgency and the hope. We treat patients whose conditions leave transplant as their best or only option, and we also witness the life-changing impact when a donor makes that second chance possible.

Anyone, regardless of age, race, or medical history, can register to be a donor. This is especially important in communities where chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension are more common, increasing the need for transplants. Racial and ethnic minorities make up roughly 60 percent of those on the national transplant list, highlighting the need for broader awareness and registration across all communities.

Wendy Lucas in our Information Technology Department chose to become a living kidney donor last November, demonstrating a powerful truth: one person's decision can save a life.

In our roles as hospital leaders, we have seen how one donor like Wendy can transform the lives of many patients and families. Becoming an organ donor takes less than a minute, but the impact can last a lifetime for someone else.

We encourage everyone to consider registering, and just as importantly, to have a conversation with loved ones so your wishes are understood and honored.

Your decision could one day save someone's life. By working together, we can all bring hope to those who are waiting.

Dr. Charles F. Barberais president and CEO at Reading Hospital, and Dr. Richard McLaughlinis president and CEO at Pottstown Hospital and Phoenixville Hospital.