November recognized as Faith and Hope Month in honor of tissue and eye donation and transplantation

HSHS St. Francis Hospital is hosting an awareness event on Friday, Nov. 3, in recognition of Faith and Hope Month. The event will celebrate those whose faith has inspired the gift of life, sight and healing to others. The community is invited to join hospital colleagues in learning more about organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation. 

Immediately following 11 a.m. Mass in the hospital chapel on Friday, all are welcome to attend a casual gathering and enjoy light refreshments in the conference room near the cafeteria. A Gift of Hope representative will be available to answer questions and discuss organ, tissue and eye donation with those present. A Gift of Hope flag-raising will take place outside, weather permitting. 

Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network is the not-for-profit organization responsible for coordinating organ, tissue and eye donation and working with the families of donors in Illinois and northwest Indiana. Gift of Hope is partnering with HSHS St. Francis Hospital to recognize November as Faith and Hope Month, a time to learn more about faith-based perspectives on organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation. 

Jim Timpe, president and CEO of HSHS St. Francis Hospital, shared, “It’s a time to reflect on teachings that call on us to give to others through donation. Every year, thousands of lives are helped through tissue and eye donations. And those donations reduce the number of people who 

All major religions and faith traditions consider organ donation a final act of compassion and generosity. Families faced with deciding whether to donate a loved one’s organs and tissue may question their church’s position. The best time to answer those questions and discuss them with family members is before the decision must be made at the time of a loved one’s death. 

Faith and Hope Month in November is an opportunity to do just that. As families gather for the holidays, they should talk about their faith perspective and wishes for donations. 

Learn more about Faith and Hope Month, religious perspectives on donation, transplantation, and how donation works at giftofhope.org. Register your decision to be an organ, eye and tissue donor, and talk with your family about the decision.