Community Corner

Motorcyclists Rally for Organ Donation Awareness

At the age of 19, Kym Meyers died as a result of end stage liver disease and the shortage of organs for transplant.

Recently, LifeChoice Donor Services hosted the Fourth Annual Kym’s Kause Motorcycle Ride and Community BBQ in honor of Enfield teenager Kym Meyers, who died while waiting for a liver transplant.  

The 3-hour charity motorcycle ride brought out nearly 100 bikes, which made pit stops at TSI Harley-Davidson in Ellington, American Eagle Saloon & Café in Willington, Big Y Supermarket in Ellington, and Hot Leathers in South Windsor.  

Riders and non-bikers alike enjoyed a huge Community BBQ, which featured a live band, raffle prizes, a 50/50 raffle, face painting, basketball and vendor tables.  The event raised more than $5,000 for organ and tissue donation awareness.

In 2010, while a freshman at Eastern Connecticut State University, Meyers was diagnosed with a condition called cirrhosis. In July 2010, she became so sick she had to be admitted into the hospital to wait for a liver transplant.  

At the age of 19, she died as a result of end stage liver disease and the shortage of organs for transplant.

Today, nearly 120,000 people are on the national organ transplant waiting list. 

Largely due to the rarity of donation opportunities, only about 28,000 organs are transplanted each year. As a result, 18 candidates die each day because an organ is not available.

For more information, check out the full post on Ellington-Somers Patch.


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