Mayor Jake Wilson joined other community leaders in promoting organ donation on Tuesday. ~Photo courtesy of New England Donor Services

On Tuesday, August 11, New England Donor Services joined Mayor Jake Wilson, City Councilor Jon Link, Registry of Motor Vehicles leadership, and individuals touched by donation at City Hall to celebrate organ donation and encourage people to register as donors at the RMV when getting their license, ID, or REAL ID, or online at www.mass.gov/OrganDonor. The Mayor and the City Councilor both displayed the hearts on their licenses during the event, showing pride in their decision to register as donors.

Joe Kowalski, a heart transplant recipient, shared his transplant story to highlight the impact of organ donation. In 2023, just days after his wife suffered a stroke, Joe experienced an unexpected heart attack. After finding out heart surgery would likely be unsuccessful, Joe was added to the national transplant list. He received a successful heart transplant shortly after, returning home in early September 2023. Following six months of cardiac rehab, Joe was able to get back to doing the things he loves, like kayaking on the Charles River and playing in his rock band.

When Kathy O’Brien’s husband, Shawn, passed away in 2023, he was not able to become an organ donor but donated tissue, including his cornea, enabling sight for an individual who had gone blind, a heart valve to a young person, and other tissues, ultimately benefiting nearly 100 people.

Somerville resident Sage Hoffman shared how she is a living kidney donor to a man who later became her husband.

The Somerville event emphasized the ongoing need for organ donors, the importance of donor registration, and the meaningful difference donation can make for individuals and families. This event comes as NEDS achieved a record number of transplants last year. In 2025, NEDS coordinated organ donations from 640 deceased donors, resulting in 1,692 life-saving transplants. This record number of organ transplants represents the fifth consecutive year of growth and places NEDS among the nation’s top three organ procurement organizations (OPOs) by donor and transplant volume. Since 2020, NEDS has increased the number of life-saving organ transplants from New England organ donors by 65 percent. In addition, the organization’s Aftercare team provided services to 3,390 new donor families last year. In 2025, NEDS also coordinated 1,628 donor family and recipient letters, and 1,426 individuals impacted by organ donation attended NEDS-sponsored events.