New CORE Flag Raised at WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital
Members of the late Heather Miller’s family, from left, Nathaniel Miller, Joe McGlumphy, Jody Miller, Sarah Miller and Gary Miller, gather for the Center for Organ Recovery and Education flag raising ceremony Friday at WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital. Heather Miller became an organ donor after she died from injuries sustained in a car crash.
Photo by Shelley Hanson
Jody Miller and Todd Hood raise the Center for Organ Recovery and Education flag Friday outside of WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital. Miller’s daughter, Heather Miller, was an organ donor, and Hood is an organ recipient.
Photo by Shelley Hanson
Todd Hood, left, who is an organ recipient, is praised for his good work at WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital by Heidi Porter, vice president of Quality and Regulatory Affairs at WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital.
Photo by Shelley Hanson
Jody Miller talks about her daughter, the late Heather Miller, and her organ donation before a flag raising ceremony honoring donors and recipients Friday at WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital. She is flanked by photos of her daughter.
Photo by Shelley Hanson
Indiana native Robert Horsey, a critical care registered nurse who has worked in the organ donation and transplantation field for 18 years, holds his book about organ donation titled “Gifted.” He is also producing a documentary series that will include Heather Miller’s story.
Photo by Shelley Hanson
Members of the late Heather Miller’s family, from left, Nathaniel Miller, Joe McGlumphy, Jody Miller, Sarah Miller and Gary Miller, gather for the Center for Organ Recovery and Education flag raising ceremony Friday at WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital. Heather Miller became an organ donor after she died from injuries sustained in a car crash.
Photo by Shelley Hanson
Jody Miller and Todd Hood raise the Center for Organ Recovery and Education flag Friday outside of WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital. Miller’s daughter, Heather Miller, was an organ donor, and Hood is an organ recipient.
Photo by Shelley Hanson
Todd Hood, left, who is an organ recipient, is praised for his good work at WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital by Heidi Porter, vice president of Quality and Regulatory Affairs at WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital.
Photo by Shelley Hanson
Jody Miller talks about her daughter, the late Heather Miller, and her organ donation before a flag raising ceremony honoring donors and recipients Friday at WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital. She is flanked by photos of her daughter.
Photo by Shelley Hanson
Indiana native Robert Horsey, a critical care registered nurse who has worked in the organ donation and transplantation field for 18 years, holds his book about organ donation titled “Gifted.” He is also producing a documentary series that will include Heather Miller’s story.
Photo by Shelley HansonTrending
WHEELING – As people began to raise the new Center for Organ Recovery and Education flag at WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital on Friday, the snow flurries stopped and the sun began to break through the clouds, just like Jody Miller thought it would.
She took it as a sign that her late daughter, Heather Miller, was there in spirit, watching over the ceremony.
In 2008, Heather Miller died from injuries sustained in a car crash and her organs were donated to others in need of transplants.
Her favorite song was “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles, her mother noted.
She said they played the song over and over again in the hospital room, hoping it would spark a miracle and wake her daughter up.
But a week after the car accident Heather Miller was declared brain dead. She had checked on her driver's license that she wanted to be an organ donor if she died. Her mother said the family wanted to honor those wishes and they did.
CORE, she said, treated Heather with dignity and compassion.
"She's still doing what she set out to do. She's saving lives," Miller said.
Heather Miller, 21, was set to graduate from nursing school. She already had a job prospect lined up. Her parents learned after her death that she had been accepted for the position. She was buried with the cap and gown they had ordered for her to wear during her graduation ceremony.
Miller said after her daughter's death she didn't know if she would ever smile again. People trying to comfort her would sometimes say it happened for a reason. Fourteen years later, she believes there is some truth to that because of Heather's donation of life to others.
"My daughter gave the best gift ever - she gave the gift of life," she said.
Miller encourages people to consider checking the driver's license box for organ donation like her daughter did, and to let their loved one's know their wishes.
In addition to Jody Miller, also in attendance for the ceremony were Heather Miller's brother Nathaniel Miller, sister Sarah Miller, father Gary Miller and uncle Joe McGlumphy.
Helping Miller raise the CORE flag was Todd Hood, an organ donor recipient who works at WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital in facilities project management. Hood received a liver transplant about seven years ago.
Heidi Porter, vice president of Quality and Regulatory Affairs at the hospital, noted Hood continues to go "above and beyond" in his job each day. She said organ donation hits close to home as a member of her own family, a cousin, was a kidney recipient.
Kayla Gray, a donor family support coordinator with CORE, thanked the organ donor community including the families, donors, recipients and medical personnel.
Indiana native Robert Horsey, a critical care registered nurse who has worked in the organ donation and transplantation field for 18 years, was in attendance to sign copies of his book, "Gifted." He is also producing a documentary series that will include Heather Miller's story.
Sister Mary Ann Rosenbaum, the hospital's director of Pastoral Care, did the closing prayer. A reception was held afterward featuring cake and refreshments.