President & CEO Of LiveOn NY Says Det. Wilbert Mora's Final Gift Of Organ Donation Helped Increase Public Awareness
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Organ donation inquiries have increased since the announcement that NYPD Det. Wilbert Mora's final gift to New York was the gift of life.
The 27-year-old's selfless last wish changed the lives of people desperately waiting for transplants.
The nonprofit group LiveOn NY, who assisted in Mora's donations, released the following statement --
"Five people who were waiting for a heart, liver, two kidneys and pancreas were saved ... Three individuals in New York and two people outside the state of New York received life-saving organ transplants from Officer Mora. We are humbled and honored to be the steward of these gifts on behalf of Officer Mora and his family so others may live on."
The need for donors is great and the waiting list for organs is long. Right now, over 7,000 people are waiting for organs in the New York Metropolitan area. Most patients wait three to five years for a transplant in New York state, and every ten minutes, a person is added to the National Transplant Waiting List.
Leonard Achan, president and CEO of LiveOn NY, joined CBS2's Jessica Moore to discuss the public's response to Mora's donation. Watch the full interview above.
For more information, visit liveon-ny.org.