April is Donate Life Month...Masks provided to NEDS!

Medfield Makes Masks fills need at New England Donor Services

Medfield resident, Liz Sandeman, is a passionate and dedicated volunteer for New England Donor Services, and she tirelessly spreads the word of the importance of being a Registered Organ Donor.

Appropriately, April is Donate Life Month and during this pandemic, when Sandeman found out New England Donor Services was looking for PPE and homemade masks she put them in touch with Jonathan Gray, CEO of distribution within the "Medfield Makes Masks: Community Combining for a Cause" facebook group of volunteers.

Not being certain how many N.E. Donor Services needed, Sandeman's daughter, Sophie stayed up sewing until 2am to ensure she completed making 40 masks.

Holding umbrella's and wearing masks themselves on April 9th, the Sandeman's and Gray socially distance connected on Gray's front yard, aka, "Mask Central". In addition, Sandeman's good friend Jenn Cray from N.E. Donor Services in Waltham, drove to Medfield to pick up these much needed masks. She was so thankful for this donation from Liz and Sophie and the coordination of efforts through Jonathan.

Sandeman stated, "Jenn will make sure these masks will get to where they need to go".

In addition to caring about the needs for masks, Sandeman and Gray have something else in common; both lost loved ones who were in need of organ donations. Sandeman's beloved sister, T, patiently waited for 2 years for a single or double lung transplant, but that never happened and she died at age 54. Gray's dearly loved nephew, Noah, received both a heart and lung transplant, but sadly he rejected the lung and died at the age of 16.

In their honor, Sandeman embroidered a little “T” and a little “N” on all of the blue and the green masks made by Sophie and given to N.E. Donor Services.

Melissa Chiumiento, Social Media Specialist at New England Donor Services explained how this organization works and the need for these masks, "New England Donor Services' frontline hospital staff can potentially enter a hospital up to 10 times in response to an active potential organ donor referral.

Their clinical responsibilities range from meeting with the potential donor's family to discuss and obtain authorization for organ and tissue donation, assist with medically managing the patient after death is declared and arranging for the logistics of the transplant.

The need for organ and tissue donations and transplants remains critical even during the pandemic.

These masks will be used to keep NEDS staff safe so they can continue their work to save and heal lives without interruption."

For more information on New England Donor Services, visit their website at NEDS.org. Anyone can sign up to be an organ and tissue donor at RegisterMe.org .