BEAUMONT, Texas — Outside Christus St. Elizabeth Hospital, people gathered Thursday to honor those who gave others a second chance at life.
It was a somber celebration to recognize the significance of organ donations. A flag was raised as a way to honor those heroes.
The need for transplants is great and the need is real.
There are more than 100,000 Americans who are waiting for an organ transplant.
One mother whose son is on the kidney transplant waitlist told 12News the value of giving to those on that list.
"You can't do anything with your organ when you're gone. And so you can pass that on to someone else," said Melinda Thomas, mother of a waitlist patient.
In 2021, there were 41,000 organ transplants performed in the United States