CBS Sports to feature CMC and LifeShare Of The Carolinas

Nov 20 2010

Carolinas Medical Center (CMC) and its Organ Procurement partner, LifeShare Of The Carolinas, will be featured in a special CBS Sports broadcast airing on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 25, during "NFL Today." The segment is expected to air between noon and 12:30 pm.

This story recalls the fatal accident that took the life of NFL wide receiver Chris Henry in Charlotte, his mother's difficult decision to donate his organs, and the "gift of life" that followed for four people.

CBS Sports shot the feature on location at CMC in early November. The segment features those four organ recipients and their families, including their health challenges before they underwent organ transplant, and the quality of life they now enjoy. The story also captures the moment when Chris Henry's mother, Carolyn Glaspy of Cincinnati, met the organ recipients for the first time, and the role that doctors, nurses, transplant and organ procurement staff played in the lives of these individuals.

CMC is a designated transplant center with 175 organ transplants performed in 2009. According to LifeShare Of The Carolinas, many more lives could be saved if more people consented to donation.

"Tragically, 18 people die on a daily basis as a result of the shortage of donors. We hope that everyone who sees the Chris Henry story on Thanksgiving Day will consider joining the donor registry in their state. One person can make a difference. Chris Henry sure did," said Gary Burris, LifeShare's Chief Operating Officer.

"We see miracles of medicine every day at Carolinas Medical Center," said Suzanne Freeman, hospital president. "One of the greatest of all is the gift of life through organ transplantation, made possible by the willingness of people to designate themselves to be donors. This is truly a fitting story for Thanksgiving Day."

The Los Angeles Times will publish a similar story on Thanksgiving Day in selected markets around the U.S.