Organ Donation Advocates To Gather At Somerville City Hall Next Week

SOMERVILLE, MA — New England Donor Services will host an organ and tissue donation awareness event at Somerville City Hall on Tuesday, Aug. 11, aimed at encouraging more residents to register as organ and tissue donors.

Mayor Jake Wilson will be joined by New England Donor Services staff, heart transplant recipient Joe Kowalski, donor family member Kathy O'Brien and Senior Director of Government Relations Matthew Boger. The event begins at 11 a.m. at City Hall on 93 Highland Ave.

The event will feature personal stories highlighting the impact organ and tissue donation can have on recipients and donor families.

Kowalski, of Brighton, will share his experience receiving a heart transplant in 2023 after suffering an unexpected heart attack just days after his wife experienced a stroke. According to New England Donor Services, doctors determined heart surgery was unlikely to be successful, and Kowalski was placed on the national transplant waiting list before receiving a donor heart later that year.

After returning home in September 2023 and completing six months of cardiac rehabilitation, Kowalski was able to resume activities he enjoys, including kayaking on the Charles River.

O'Brien, a Wareham native and New England Donor Services volunteer, will also speak about her husband Shawn, who donated tissue after his death in January 2023. According to the organization, his donation helped save multiple lives. O'Brien now volunteers to honor his legacy and raise awareness about the importance of donation.

In 2025, New England Donor Services coordinated organ donations from 640 deceased donors, resulting in 1,692 transplants. The organization said the total marks its fifth consecutive year of growth and represents a 65 percent increase in life-saving organ transplants since 2020.The organization also said it provided aftercare services to 3,390 donor families last year, coordinated 1,628 letters between donor families and transplant recipients, and welcomed 1,426 people affected by organ donation to organization-sponsored events.

Founded in 1968, New England Donor Services coordinates organ and tissue donation across Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, eastern Vermont and Bermuda. The nonprofit works with more than 200 hospitals throughout the region to facilitate organ donation and transplantation.

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