November 13, 2025 • 29 mins
Each November, Gift of Life Donor Sabbath brings together faith leaders from diverse traditions to share a vital message: organ and tissue donation is an act of love, compassion, and charity. All major religions in the United States support donation as a selfless gift that saves lives. Joining us for this inspiring conversation are: Imam Dr. Raymond Brock-Murray, Masjid Baitul Nasr Pastor Charles Leonard, Saint Mark’s Church Rabbi Michael Singer, Congregation Brith Sholom Cynthia Slater, donor mother and advocate Yvette Mason, two-time liver recipient Together, they explore how faith traditions uplift the lifesaving mission of donation, how spiritual leaders guide families through difficult decisions, and why communities of color — especially those disproportionately affected — benefit deeply from trusted faith voices championing this cause.
As always, we close with an invitation to take action: During Donor Sabbath this November, have the conversation with your loved ones and consider registering as an organ donor at donors1.org. Through collective compassion and courage, we can offer hope, healing, and the gift of life.
Gift of Life Donor Program / Donor Sabbath Website: www.donors1.org — “Gift of Life Donor Sabbath” page. Gift of Life Donor Sabbath
Facebook: Gift of Life Donor Program – FB page Facebook+1
Instagram: @donors1
As always, we close with an invitation to take action: During Donor Sabbath this November, have the conversation with your loved ones and consider registering as an organ donor at donors1.org. Through collective compassion and courage, we can offer hope, healing, and the gift of life.
Gift of Life Donor Program / Donor Sabbath Website: www.donors1.org — “Gift of Life Donor Sabbath” page. Gift of Life Donor Sabbath
Facebook: Gift of Life Donor Program – FB page Facebook+1
Instagram: @donors1
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Each November, Gift of Life Donor Sabbath brings together faith
leaders from across traditions to share one vital message that
organ and tissue donation is an act of love, compassion,
and charity. All major religions in the United States support
donation as a selfless gift that saves lives.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Well.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Today, we are joined by an inspiring panel supported by
Gift of Life Imam Doctor Raymond brock Murray of musjid
By toul Nassur, Pastor Charles Leonard of Saint Mark's Church,
Rabbi Michael Singer Congregation, Brith Sholom, Cynthia Slater, donor, mother
and advocate, and Yvette Mason, a two time liver recipient.
(00:43):
Together we will explore explore how faith and humanity intersect
in the life saving mission of organ donation. So let's begin,
Doctor brock Murray, Let's start with you from the Muslim perspective,
Good morning, How does faith guide the decision to give
the g we have to fly through organ donation?
Speaker 3 (01:03):
So first and foremost, someone and thank you for having
me on the show and especially the invitation Gift of
Life for having me and Miss Killer Brule as well
for thinking to having me participate. So there are a
lot of ways to understand the Islamic perspective. Right, all
of the Islamic perspectives on organ donation are rooted in
(01:24):
obedience to God. What is our responsibility as human beings
to do what is pleasing to God? Where we know
that He expects of us as pristion and that actually
is the foundation for the decision too and to not donated,
or believe it or not. And so we have a
few different schools of thought, just very briefly, you know,
(01:47):
similarly as you'll see in all of the other scriptures
that we have part of our conversation today, the idea
in Islam that to save one life is as if
to save all of humanity, and so a lot of
that informs our approach to deciding to donate an organ, right,
because I know that there's a great possibility that if
(02:10):
I do donate an organ, it's going to go to
someone in need and either save their lives or increase
the quality of their life. But similarly, the other side
Islamically is sometimes we try to honor the body of
a person who might be deceased. And so I think
that most of our struggles as a community around this
issue really revolved around when has a person passed away
(02:33):
in terms of organ donation, but then also on top
of that, how do we honor the body of the
deceased by not causing any harm to their bodies as well?
And so I think religiously we're kind of grappling with
that and having these conversations from community to community over
time and trying to clarify what that means to us
as sergeants to God.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
I find it absolutely delightful that you refer to that
saying from the Torah that save one life and you
save the world. And that's also in the Talmud Rabbi Singer.
In the Jewish tradition, saving a life picua nefesh is
(03:15):
a core value. How does that teaching connect with the
message of donor Sabbath?
Speaker 4 (03:21):
So, first again, thank you for having me and thank
you to the gift of life. This is such an
important conversation and really to try to get out the
message and the word that organ donation is the highest
meets Bah. We say commandments, so we believe in these commandments,
these meets vote that God God gives and the highest
one is to save a life. In fact, saving a
(03:42):
life even pushes a lot of other laws that we
might have that we value in Judaism, such as keeping
the Sabbath. And this is the most important law that
we really have, what we can do to save another life,
because we believe, as you quoted from the Tulmultave and
as in Mom pointed out, to save a life is
(04:05):
to save an entire world, because it truly you are
one of a kind. Each person has a story and
a background, and there's only going to be ever one
of you, and so you are priceless in the eyes
of God. And so it by we feel that by
you can show the deepest honor and can fulfill the
(04:25):
highest mysta of saving a life, either as a living
donor or as after someone has passed away, and that
this enables the person who has passed away to actually
perform this amazing mitzvah to save up to sometimes eight
people with organ donation. And so we look at that
(04:49):
as sort of the highest way of honoring God and
fulfilling the commandment to save a life. And most of
us in our in our regular lives, we don't go
around like Superman, like save lives on a regular basis.
But here you can be You can be that person
that you know God has blessed with the ability to
(05:10):
perform this commandment. In Picoa Napash as you mentioned in
saving another person's life, and in Judaism, you know there
can be really no higher mitzvah than doing that.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
Well, we're hearing from two traditions, Judaism and Islam. Let's
turn to Christianity, Pastor Leonard. Many people turn to their
clergy for spiritual clarity and moments of loss or giving.
How does the Christian faith view donation as an act
of compassion and service?
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Well, thank you and I do as the other two have.
I I do thank you for having me on this morning,
and of course thank Nija Kila Bruce all the work
that she's done to educate and move us in this
direction and the Christian faith for us, it's very, very,
very very I think important that we go to the
(06:09):
life of Jesus Christ, where Jesus he says no greater,
no greater love than one in the laid on one's
life or another. So I think we share and with
the other two faiths that are present, we share that
same understanding that it's a high gift, be able to
give life to another. And that's what are in our religion.
That's what it's about. It's about giving life, bringing life,
(06:30):
you know, into a situation. And when it comes to
an organ donor the tissue donat and so forth organ donating,
it's important that the people understand that they are doing it,
doing a great thing. As Rabbi said, you know, you're
saving as much or helping as much as eight eight
people who will be recipients from some organs, especially when
(06:51):
people are passing. What I do is try to get
that across the people that there is a great thing
that you're doing. Don't feel that you're don't feel that
you're doing something that that's not allowed in Christianity. No Jesus,
he said it, Well, no one has no greater love
than one in the lay down one's life for another.
And this we're giving life. No greater love than to
(07:12):
give life to another. And that's how we see it,
that we're giving something that life can come come up
from the ground. Almost person who has very little hope.
There's so many that are on I think, on the
waiting list, waiting for an organ or whatever. And if
we have someone who have that organ. We have to
be able to get to our people to say, here's
the opportunity for you to give life to someone else.
(07:35):
So we treasure that and that that I'll understand that
Jesus had no greater love have have one than the
layd down one's life or another.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
That's beautiful. We've spoken about the spiritual underpinnings about why
it is acceptable and absolutely a great thing to become
an organ donor. Let's talk about the reality of what
that is. You've been given the gift of life, life twice.
What message would you share with others who may still
(08:04):
have fears or misconceptions about organ donation.
Speaker 5 (08:11):
Well, it's interesting you would form the question in that way.
I had my second transplant and there was a family
member who I had the opportunity to talk to about
donating their father's organs. He had an aneurysm and that
(08:33):
was what ended up terminating his life. But my cousin
initially was not going to donate, and I talked to
her and said, you know, I know this is a
hard decision to make at this point. I said, but
I'm your cousin and I'm a recipient. And because someone
(08:55):
chose in this time of need for someone else that
made that sacrifice for someone else. You know, I just
want to encourage you to consider doing the same, and
she did choose to do that. I also had another
friend who we had been talking for a while. She
knew I had a transplant, and her husband ended up
(09:15):
passing away the same thing. And I remember going to
the service and looked over to greet them at the service,
and she and her kids all raised their risks. They
had their their green bracelet on, showing me in that
moment that they chose to donate. And so, you know,
it's it's a hard thing, but I like to talk
(09:36):
about just how it's blessed me to be able to
live on. And I've had four children, one of them
I had a few months after me before my transplant,
and then so I have a pre transplant son, and
then I have two boys and a daughter after the transfer.
(10:00):
And so it is a sacrifice, but you know, my
hope is that people will choose to give, because you
just give the opportunity for families to make memories with
their loved ones. And I just try to do my
best to honor the two families that were willing to
make that sacrifice for me.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
That's a beautiful thing. It is incredibly moving to know
that you were able to have children and to be
able to be the mom that you wanted to be
post transplant, and that is extraordinary, and that you'll have
the opportunity to see them grow and thrive, which is extraordinary.
Speaker 5 (10:45):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
So, Cynthia, as both a donor, mother and a pastor,
you've experienced this deeply from both sides. Y, how has
your faith helped you find purpose in healing through your
son's legacy? And also tell us about your son?
Speaker 6 (11:04):
Okay, well again, my name is Cynthia Slater and I'm
a minister at Unity Lutheran Church in Wilmington and a
retired community social worker for over thirty years. I'm here
today as a proud mother of Ezekiel Wilson Slater, my
son who was an organ donor. When I think of Ezekiel,
(11:30):
I think of that his name means the strength of God,
and over the last several years, I'm often reminded how
much of God's strength that myself and my family has
needed to get through these tough times. I remember his laughter,
his smile, he loved fashion and baking, and I remember
(11:56):
he was such a nurturing person, and he loved flat
flowers and being out in nature. We often had to
remind him to put his shoes on because he would
go out in all types of weather barefooted because he
wanted to see the snow, or he wanted to climb
in the mud. So he loved nature. He especially loved sunflowers.
(12:16):
They were his favorite, and we planted sunflowers and seeds.
But when I speak of his memory, I referenced Ezekiel
to the sunflower. Like Zeke's sunflowers grow tall and they
leaned toward the light, and that's what he did. When
Ezekiel was sixteen, he came home excited from his driver's
(12:40):
education class about presentation that they had and he told me,
he said, Mom, I want that little heart on my
driver's license. He said, I want to be an organ donor,
and that heart became a symbol of love and generosity
throughout his life. At only twenty one, Ezekiel's life ended
(13:01):
far too soon, but through his decision, he gave life
to six people. Like the sunflowers he loved so much,
he planted seeds of hope and renewal in the lives
of others even in his passing. And in conclude, as
a as a donor mom, I've learned the grief and
gratitude can coexist. It's now my mission to reach out
(13:25):
to black and brown communities, especially to talk openly about
the power and the importance of organ and tissue donation,
you know, try to dispel some of the urban legends
and the myths that are out there. And because, like
Ezekiel Sunflower, I look at it that one small seed
of love can grow into a field of life. And
(13:49):
through this selfless general generosity of his, his family, and myself,
we find solace in knowing that his legacy lives on.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
One of the big mixed conceptions that many people who
are reluctant to become organ donors is that doctors won't
do everything that they can to save your life. And
that is of course a complete fallacy, and I wonder
if you could just explain that to folks, because that
(14:22):
is absolutely not true. Doctors, by the very nature of
what they do, need to do whatever they and will
do whatever they can to save a person's life. They're
not going to speed someone's early demise in order to
harvest their Organs.
Speaker 4 (14:36):
Is that right?
Speaker 6 (14:39):
That's correct?
Speaker 5 (14:39):
Are you speaking to me?
Speaker 6 (14:40):
Yeah, yes, that's correct, And maybe someone else on the
panel can speak as well. But that's something often here
people say, I don't want to put that on my
license because they won't save me or they won't take
me to the hospital, and you know, and for him
to be so young and want to make that decision,
but I also showed him the heart that I had
on my driver's licensed decision I made many years you know,
(15:04):
many many years ago when I was young and so
but oftentimes people have said, you know, even he has
a twin, and this twin was like I was at
that same presentation, but I'm leaving here with everything that
I came with, you know. And I think over the
years he's kind of softened a little bit about that.
(15:25):
But still it's a lot of myths that need to
be dispelled so that we can get the people, you know,
the help that they need.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
Yeah. Absolutely, for all our faith leaders. What are some
of the most common questions or a myths that you
hear in your congregations about organ donation and how do
you address that? Emon? Can you start?
Speaker 3 (15:50):
Thank you? I don't know that I hear a lot
of a lot of myths. I think that what I've
noticed over the past year or so working with miss
Killer grew is that people in general are curious. Again,
as I mentioned earlier, you know, Islamically, we try not
to do anything to the left or to the right,
or up or down unless there's a lot of security
(16:12):
religiously around it. And so I think that believe it
or not, the community is so open to having these
conversations because they really generally don't know. And what I
found amongst the Muslims is a lot of the hesitance
is around if you were to tell a Muslim they
can do something, they'll do it. If a Muslim is
not sure if they can do something, they won't. And
(16:33):
I think that the biggest myth really, I think is
within the community of people who are not Muslim. They
look at our community's reluctance and they think it's just
obstinates right, and it's not. It's really a religious question
that everyone's kind of looking over their shoulder. Can someone
give me spiritual direction on this? And once we have
(16:53):
clear spiritual direction, I think everybody becomes more comfortable. I'll
remind you of one thing that I that I learned
throughout this process. You know, it was the idea. Okay, well,
as as our pastor just said a minute ago, you
know that her son said, well, I'm leaving here with
everything that I came with. And one of the things
(17:14):
that I had learned I was unaware of even myself religiously,
is that you know, in the Islamic tradition, we believe
that the person is resurrected as they were created meanings,
so for instance, that a law he has the ability
to resurrect the person completely, no matter what they do
to their body. And so if if a Muslim donates
(17:36):
all of their they could donate all of their organs,
all of this and their heart, their lungs, everything. And
then when we were resurrected on the final day, right
to stand before our Lord, We're going to be resurrected
as we were when we were alive. And so I
think that again, this is how religious information helps our
community have these kinds of conversations and give the people
(17:56):
who are interested in signing up to be donors the
kind of the confidence that they need to take the
next step forward.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
Rabbi Singer, what about you, what are some of the
most common questions or misconceptions that you've encountered in your congregation.
Speaker 4 (18:11):
So I think in the congregation we actually have a
number of living donors and we also have a number
of people who have been recipients of transplants. So it's
something that the community, my local community, is very much
engaged in. And it strikes home because there are people
today walking around in the congregation who have literally just
received a kidney, and then we had another member of
(18:32):
our commanders who donated a kidney. So it's it's something
that's that's really critical, and it's not just I'm a
conservative rabbi, but they are Orthodox rabbis and reform rabbis
and and everything in between across Jewish denominations. To be clear,
organ donation is permissible and Orthodox Judaism it's permissible, and
(18:55):
Conservative Judaism, Reconstructionist Judaism, Reformed Judaism, across Judaism. This is
something that we we support and that we feel is
really important in getting that word out. And I think
there are some misconceptions like, as Emma mentioned, will we
be resurrected? And the answer is when the time comes,
(19:15):
and that time please, you know, someday soon you know,
God has the ability to to do it, because, after all,
we return to the earth and if you think about it,
ancestors there have been buried thousands of years ago. There's
not much left per se. You know, we returned back
to the earth. That's what we're made of, literally, the
(19:36):
material of the stars. And God has the ability to
do that. So we're not particularly concerned in that. We
believe that God can do what God can do, and
and certainly there but the other piece is, you know,
the treatment of the body. And here you have an
opportunity to be able to both you know, give life
(19:57):
and and the to other people. That and what a
beautiful thing that God has created, the ability for us
to help one another, even in moments where we more
in the loss. And as Cynthia had said, you know,
we have this saying in Judaism, may a person's memory
be for a blessing? What bigger blessing can there be
(20:17):
in someone's memory? And it says if the person who
has passed on in this case is able to bring
their memory and their love and their blessing continually into
the world. And you can do that through organ donation.
You can do that of course, through the values you
perpetuate and the legacies you leave. But one of the
(20:38):
biggest is giving life to those who desperately need it.
And there are people who desperately need We need to
increase the awareness of organ donation. It's permissibility, it's even
what I might say, is a choice that people should
be encouraged to make when they're healthy and good and
like all is there, instead of at the last moment,
(20:59):
need to get this. We have this in living directives,
medical directives, Jewish medical directives. That is such an important
part of getting the word out so that we have
so many people that could benefit. And if we just
increase the awareness over and over and dissipate any of
the questions people might have, well, is it true I'm
supposed aren't I supposed to be buried whole? Well, you know, ideally, sure,
(21:22):
but here you have an opportunity to save lives. And
what could be greater than that.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
Pastored Pastor Leonard, tell us about your perspective. What what
kind of questions do you get in your congregation?
Speaker 2 (21:36):
I think, what what E mom? And what rebi? You
know what what they've said is basically what we deal with.
Two people wonder, well, uh am I going to be resurrected?
How am I going to be resurrected if if you
take my organs away? And so forth, and we have
to come back to say to them, well, you know
that we have an understanding about the about about this
(21:58):
cremation that haveapens more to people are created in the
world than than than than buried in the world because
of land use. But understanding that understanding that if you're
going to give your organs, you're giving life and that
you can be rather you will be resurrected, because that's
why as we MoMA said, you will be resurrected at
the time. God has a way of doing that, and
(22:20):
Rapie said that too, God has a way of doing it.
We cannot we cannot fathom how God thinks, fathom God's
purpose and so we can't fathom all that. So we
can't imagine, Well how do I how do I I
give away my organs and then I'm going to be resurrected.
But that's going to happen. God can do it. So
we say that because God is God, so God is
(22:42):
able to do us. But we're able to give life.
So I say the many people who are dealing with
this kind of situe. There's those questions and so forth.
I say, well, listen, the most important thing is giving
life understanding that you as we go from this earth,
we can't even take our bodies with us. They stay
behind and they go into the dust, you know, go
back to to earth and turn into dust, and so forth.
(23:04):
If you can help someone help someone, a good thing.
I think a good thing for me has been when
there's somebody in in the congregation who's on a waiting list.
People have to hear that, hear how this person has struggled,
how they hope, they hope that some will come come
on and and and and be able to donate an
(23:25):
organ for them that they can live. And when you
know those people who are struggling on the list, that
tends to make people think twice, maybe maybe I can
do something like that, or maybe if we can encourage
somebody else, you know, And and I'm thinking that, I
know people are still afraid, but when they know someone
who's struggling, who's on the list, then it comes more
(23:48):
like almost into your into your room, into your house,
and hears someone that's struggling, what can be done? We'll
pray for them, but we hope that that somebody, somebody
will be able to donate an organ to help this person.
So that's that's one of the things that is very helpful.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
Pastor Cynthie Slater, mother, donor, mother and advocate. Studies show
that five thousand people in our region are waiting for
a life saving transplant, with communities of color disproportionately impacted.
Why is it so important for trusted faith voices to
(24:25):
help bridge the gap?
Speaker 6 (24:28):
Well, as as we heard from the other leaders, because
people come and they really look to you know, the
church leaders and house of worship leaders as a voice
of reason, you know, so it's very important for us
(24:49):
to get that information to other spiritual leaders so that
they can get the word out. As as we heard
the other pastors and rabbi and emon say that, you know,
people don't have the information, so they're making decisions based
on misinformation and no information. So the more that we
(25:11):
get the information out, then the more that people will
be knowledgeable, because people are once they hear the information,
they are excited. And you know, I've had people come
to me and say, you know, when I went to
renew my license or I thought about what you said,
and I looked up that, you know, the website, and
I made a decision to donate. So but they said,
(25:31):
each one, teach one.
Speaker 1 (25:33):
Yeah, Evatt, I'm going to give you the last word,
because your story is really about the extraordinary gift that
the gift of life has provided for you, your family,
your community. And I wonder what your message would be
to those listening out there who are on the fence,
who may have heard all these misconceptions, may have certain
(25:56):
misinformation on their own part and their reluctance to to
take that step to become a potential organ donor. What
would be your message to them?
Speaker 5 (26:08):
My message to them would be to look at me.
I can't even begin to talk about how much I've thrived.
And this month actually is both of my transplant anniversaries
November twenty third, and I mean November twentieth and November
(26:30):
twenty fourth. And you know, when we don't when we
don't have information, like I know, I wouldn't be as
aware of in donation if I had not gone through
my experience, and so that makes it mean a lot
more than me. And so I just would encourage people
(26:51):
to research, make sure you not just put it on
your license, but let your family know what your wishes are.
Because my cousin, she knew that her her father wanted
to donate, but she wasn't going to because she was
just grieving. She was just so hurting, And so it's
(27:14):
just always better to have the conversations and consider the
fact that in you making that sacrifice, because it is
a sacrifice, you know you're you're letting go of your
loved one, and I empathize with that. But to actually
be able to experience and see someone that's living and thriving,
(27:37):
I've been able to go and share with others across
the world. Actually, that was a unique situation of being
able to share my story and the fact that my
faith has definitely strengthened and encouraged me along this journey
to know that through my journey of pain and struggle,
(27:57):
that I'm able to help others to know that there
is hope, There is a future where people can help
somebody else make a difference in the world, and they
will not be able to even get an understanding of
(28:17):
the level of impact that it would have on other
families to be so generous and.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
Kind, And as both the mom and Rabbi have stated
saving one life saves the world. So you can save
the world so easy. Just sign up for the Gift
of Life. Each November, Gift of Life Donor Sabbath brings
together faith leaders from across traditions to share this one
vital message that oregon and tissue donation is an act
(28:44):
of love, compassion, and charity. All major religions in the
United States support donation as a selfless gift that saves lives.
We've been joined by Imam, doctor Raymond Brock Murray, Pastor
Charles Leonard, Rabbi Michael Singer, Cynthia Slater, reverend and donor,
mother and advocate, and Yvette Mason, a two time liver recipient.
(29:06):
As we've heard today, organ donation is truly an act
of love that transcends faith, culture, and background. Again, every
major religion supports it as a gift of compassion and humanity.
During Gift of Life Donor Sabbath this November, take a
moment to have that important conversation with your family and
your faith community. You can skip the trip to the
(29:28):
DMV and register right now at Donorswe do o RG
Together through faith and action, we can honor the spirit
of giving and help more people receive the gift of life.
Thank you all for joining us today.
Each November, Gift of Life Donor Sabbath brings together faith
leaders from across traditions to share one vital message that
organ and tissue donation is an act of love, compassion,
and charity. All major religions in the United States support
donation as a selfless gift that saves lives.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
Well.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Today, we are joined by an inspiring panel supported by
Gift of Life Imam Doctor Raymond brock Murray of musjid
By toul Nassur, Pastor Charles Leonard of Saint Mark's Church,
Rabbi Michael Singer Congregation, Brith Sholom, Cynthia Slater, donor, mother
and advocate, and Yvette Mason, a two time liver recipient.
(00:43):
Together we will explore explore how faith and humanity intersect
in the life saving mission of organ donation. So let's begin,
Doctor brock Murray, Let's start with you from the Muslim perspective,
Good morning, How does faith guide the decision to give
the g we have to fly through organ donation?
Speaker 3 (01:03):
So first and foremost, someone and thank you for having
me on the show and especially the invitation Gift of
Life for having me and Miss Killer Brule as well
for thinking to having me participate. So there are a
lot of ways to understand the Islamic perspective. Right, all
of the Islamic perspectives on organ donation are rooted in
(01:24):
obedience to God. What is our responsibility as human beings
to do what is pleasing to God? Where we know
that He expects of us as pristion and that actually
is the foundation for the decision too and to not donated,
or believe it or not. And so we have a
few different schools of thought, just very briefly, you know,
(01:47):
similarly as you'll see in all of the other scriptures
that we have part of our conversation today, the idea
in Islam that to save one life is as if
to save all of humanity, and so a lot of
that informs our approach to deciding to donate an organ, right,
because I know that there's a great possibility that if
(02:10):
I do donate an organ, it's going to go to
someone in need and either save their lives or increase
the quality of their life. But similarly, the other side
Islamically is sometimes we try to honor the body of
a person who might be deceased. And so I think
that most of our struggles as a community around this
issue really revolved around when has a person passed away
(02:33):
in terms of organ donation, but then also on top
of that, how do we honor the body of the
deceased by not causing any harm to their bodies as well?
And so I think religiously we're kind of grappling with
that and having these conversations from community to community over
time and trying to clarify what that means to us
as sergeants to God.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
I find it absolutely delightful that you refer to that
saying from the Torah that save one life and you
save the world. And that's also in the Talmud Rabbi Singer.
In the Jewish tradition, saving a life picua nefesh is
(03:15):
a core value. How does that teaching connect with the
message of donor Sabbath?
Speaker 4 (03:21):
So, first again, thank you for having me and thank
you to the gift of life. This is such an
important conversation and really to try to get out the
message and the word that organ donation is the highest
meets Bah. We say commandments, so we believe in these commandments,
these meets vote that God God gives and the highest
one is to save a life. In fact, saving a
(03:42):
life even pushes a lot of other laws that we
might have that we value in Judaism, such as keeping
the Sabbath. And this is the most important law that
we really have, what we can do to save another life,
because we believe, as you quoted from the Tulmultave and
as in Mom pointed out, to save a life is
(04:05):
to save an entire world, because it truly you are
one of a kind. Each person has a story and
a background, and there's only going to be ever one
of you, and so you are priceless in the eyes
of God. And so it by we feel that by
you can show the deepest honor and can fulfill the
(04:25):
highest mysta of saving a life, either as a living
donor or as after someone has passed away, and that
this enables the person who has passed away to actually
perform this amazing mitzvah to save up to sometimes eight
people with organ donation. And so we look at that
(04:49):
as sort of the highest way of honoring God and
fulfilling the commandment to save a life. And most of
us in our in our regular lives, we don't go
around like Superman, like save lives on a regular basis.
But here you can be You can be that person
that you know God has blessed with the ability to
(05:10):
perform this commandment. In Picoa Napash as you mentioned in
saving another person's life, and in Judaism, you know there
can be really no higher mitzvah than doing that.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
Well, we're hearing from two traditions, Judaism and Islam. Let's
turn to Christianity, Pastor Leonard. Many people turn to their
clergy for spiritual clarity and moments of loss or giving.
How does the Christian faith view donation as an act
of compassion and service?
Speaker 2 (05:47):
Well, thank you and I do as the other two have.
I I do thank you for having me on this morning,
and of course thank Nija Kila Bruce all the work
that she's done to educate and move us in this
direction and the Christian faith for us, it's very, very,
very very I think important that we go to the
(06:09):
life of Jesus Christ, where Jesus he says no greater,
no greater love than one in the laid on one's
life or another. So I think we share and with
the other two faiths that are present, we share that
same understanding that it's a high gift, be able to
give life to another. And that's what are in our religion.
That's what it's about. It's about giving life, bringing life,
(06:30):
you know, into a situation. And when it comes to
an organ donor the tissue donat and so forth organ donating,
it's important that the people understand that they are doing it,
doing a great thing. As Rabbi said, you know, you're
saving as much or helping as much as eight eight
people who will be recipients from some organs, especially when
(06:51):
people are passing. What I do is try to get
that across the people that there is a great thing
that you're doing. Don't feel that you're don't feel that
you're doing something that that's not allowed in Christianity. No Jesus,
he said it, Well, no one has no greater love
than one in the lay down one's life for another.
And this we're giving life. No greater love than to
(07:12):
give life to another. And that's how we see it,
that we're giving something that life can come come up
from the ground. Almost person who has very little hope.
There's so many that are on I think, on the
waiting list, waiting for an organ or whatever. And if
we have someone who have that organ. We have to
be able to get to our people to say, here's
the opportunity for you to give life to someone else.
(07:35):
So we treasure that and that that I'll understand that
Jesus had no greater love have have one than the
layd down one's life or another.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
That's beautiful. We've spoken about the spiritual underpinnings about why
it is acceptable and absolutely a great thing to become
an organ donor. Let's talk about the reality of what
that is. You've been given the gift of life, life twice.
What message would you share with others who may still
(08:04):
have fears or misconceptions about organ donation.
Speaker 5 (08:11):
Well, it's interesting you would form the question in that way.
I had my second transplant and there was a family
member who I had the opportunity to talk to about
donating their father's organs. He had an aneurysm and that
(08:33):
was what ended up terminating his life. But my cousin
initially was not going to donate, and I talked to
her and said, you know, I know this is a
hard decision to make at this point. I said, but
I'm your cousin and I'm a recipient. And because someone
(08:55):
chose in this time of need for someone else that
made that sacrifice for someone else. You know, I just
want to encourage you to consider doing the same, and
she did choose to do that. I also had another
friend who we had been talking for a while. She
knew I had a transplant, and her husband ended up
(09:15):
passing away the same thing. And I remember going to
the service and looked over to greet them at the service,
and she and her kids all raised their risks. They
had their their green bracelet on, showing me in that
moment that they chose to donate. And so, you know,
it's it's a hard thing, but I like to talk
(09:36):
about just how it's blessed me to be able to
live on. And I've had four children, one of them
I had a few months after me before my transplant,
and then so I have a pre transplant son, and
then I have two boys and a daughter after the transfer.
(10:00):
And so it is a sacrifice, but you know, my
hope is that people will choose to give, because you
just give the opportunity for families to make memories with
their loved ones. And I just try to do my
best to honor the two families that were willing to
make that sacrifice for me.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
That's a beautiful thing. It is incredibly moving to know
that you were able to have children and to be
able to be the mom that you wanted to be
post transplant, and that is extraordinary, and that you'll have
the opportunity to see them grow and thrive, which is extraordinary.
Speaker 5 (10:45):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
So, Cynthia, as both a donor, mother and a pastor,
you've experienced this deeply from both sides. Y, how has
your faith helped you find purpose in healing through your
son's legacy? And also tell us about your son?
Speaker 6 (11:04):
Okay, well again, my name is Cynthia Slater and I'm
a minister at Unity Lutheran Church in Wilmington and a
retired community social worker for over thirty years. I'm here
today as a proud mother of Ezekiel Wilson Slater, my
son who was an organ donor. When I think of Ezekiel,
(11:30):
I think of that his name means the strength of God,
and over the last several years, I'm often reminded how
much of God's strength that myself and my family has
needed to get through these tough times. I remember his laughter,
his smile, he loved fashion and baking, and I remember
(11:56):
he was such a nurturing person, and he loved flat
flowers and being out in nature. We often had to
remind him to put his shoes on because he would
go out in all types of weather barefooted because he
wanted to see the snow, or he wanted to climb
in the mud. So he loved nature. He especially loved sunflowers.
(12:16):
They were his favorite, and we planted sunflowers and seeds.
But when I speak of his memory, I referenced Ezekiel
to the sunflower. Like Zeke's sunflowers grow tall and they
leaned toward the light, and that's what he did. When
Ezekiel was sixteen, he came home excited from his driver's
(12:40):
education class about presentation that they had and he told me,
he said, Mom, I want that little heart on my
driver's license. He said, I want to be an organ donor,
and that heart became a symbol of love and generosity
throughout his life. At only twenty one, Ezekiel's life ended
(13:01):
far too soon, but through his decision, he gave life
to six people. Like the sunflowers he loved so much,
he planted seeds of hope and renewal in the lives
of others even in his passing. And in conclude, as
a as a donor mom, I've learned the grief and
gratitude can coexist. It's now my mission to reach out
(13:25):
to black and brown communities, especially to talk openly about
the power and the importance of organ and tissue donation,
you know, try to dispel some of the urban legends
and the myths that are out there. And because, like
Ezekiel Sunflower, I look at it that one small seed
of love can grow into a field of life. And
(13:49):
through this selfless general generosity of his, his family, and myself,
we find solace in knowing that his legacy lives on.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
One of the big mixed conceptions that many people who
are reluctant to become organ donors is that doctors won't
do everything that they can to save your life. And
that is of course a complete fallacy, and I wonder
if you could just explain that to folks, because that
(14:22):
is absolutely not true. Doctors, by the very nature of
what they do, need to do whatever they and will
do whatever they can to save a person's life. They're
not going to speed someone's early demise in order to
harvest their Organs.
Speaker 4 (14:36):
Is that right?
Speaker 6 (14:39):
That's correct?
Speaker 5 (14:39):
Are you speaking to me?
Speaker 6 (14:40):
Yeah, yes, that's correct, And maybe someone else on the
panel can speak as well. But that's something often here
people say, I don't want to put that on my
license because they won't save me or they won't take
me to the hospital, and you know, and for him
to be so young and want to make that decision,
but I also showed him the heart that I had
on my driver's licensed decision I made many years you know,
(15:04):
many many years ago when I was young and so
but oftentimes people have said, you know, even he has
a twin, and this twin was like I was at
that same presentation, but I'm leaving here with everything that
I came with, you know. And I think over the
years he's kind of softened a little bit about that.
(15:25):
But still it's a lot of myths that need to
be dispelled so that we can get the people, you know,
the help that they need.
Speaker 1 (15:33):
Yeah. Absolutely, for all our faith leaders. What are some
of the most common questions or a myths that you
hear in your congregations about organ donation and how do
you address that? Emon? Can you start?
Speaker 3 (15:50):
Thank you? I don't know that I hear a lot
of a lot of myths. I think that what I've
noticed over the past year or so working with miss
Killer grew is that people in general are curious. Again,
as I mentioned earlier, you know, Islamically, we try not
to do anything to the left or to the right,
or up or down unless there's a lot of security
(16:12):
religiously around it. And so I think that believe it
or not, the community is so open to having these
conversations because they really generally don't know. And what I
found amongst the Muslims is a lot of the hesitance
is around if you were to tell a Muslim they
can do something, they'll do it. If a Muslim is
not sure if they can do something, they won't. And
(16:33):
I think that the biggest myth really, I think is
within the community of people who are not Muslim. They
look at our community's reluctance and they think it's just
obstinates right, and it's not. It's really a religious question
that everyone's kind of looking over their shoulder. Can someone
give me spiritual direction on this? And once we have
(16:53):
clear spiritual direction, I think everybody becomes more comfortable. I'll
remind you of one thing that I that I learned
throughout this process. You know, it was the idea. Okay, well,
as as our pastor just said a minute ago, you
know that her son said, well, I'm leaving here with
everything that I came with. And one of the things
(17:14):
that I had learned I was unaware of even myself religiously,
is that you know, in the Islamic tradition, we believe
that the person is resurrected as they were created meanings,
so for instance, that a law he has the ability
to resurrect the person completely, no matter what they do
to their body. And so if if a Muslim donates
(17:36):
all of their they could donate all of their organs,
all of this and their heart, their lungs, everything. And
then when we were resurrected on the final day, right
to stand before our Lord, We're going to be resurrected
as we were when we were alive. And so I
think that again, this is how religious information helps our
community have these kinds of conversations and give the people
(17:56):
who are interested in signing up to be donors the
kind of the confidence that they need to take the
next step forward.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
Rabbi Singer, what about you, what are some of the
most common questions or misconceptions that you've encountered in your congregation.
Speaker 4 (18:11):
So I think in the congregation we actually have a
number of living donors and we also have a number
of people who have been recipients of transplants. So it's
something that the community, my local community, is very much
engaged in. And it strikes home because there are people
today walking around in the congregation who have literally just
received a kidney, and then we had another member of
(18:32):
our commanders who donated a kidney. So it's it's something
that's that's really critical, and it's not just I'm a
conservative rabbi, but they are Orthodox rabbis and reform rabbis
and and everything in between across Jewish denominations. To be clear,
organ donation is permissible and Orthodox Judaism it's permissible, and
(18:55):
Conservative Judaism, Reconstructionist Judaism, Reformed Judaism, across Judaism. This is
something that we we support and that we feel is
really important in getting that word out. And I think
there are some misconceptions like, as Emma mentioned, will we
be resurrected? And the answer is when the time comes,
(19:15):
and that time please, you know, someday soon you know,
God has the ability to to do it, because, after all,
we return to the earth and if you think about it,
ancestors there have been buried thousands of years ago. There's
not much left per se. You know, we returned back
to the earth. That's what we're made of, literally, the
(19:36):
material of the stars. And God has the ability to
do that. So we're not particularly concerned in that. We
believe that God can do what God can do, and
and certainly there but the other piece is, you know,
the treatment of the body. And here you have an
opportunity to be able to both you know, give life
(19:57):
and and the to other people. That and what a
beautiful thing that God has created, the ability for us
to help one another, even in moments where we more
in the loss. And as Cynthia had said, you know,
we have this saying in Judaism, may a person's memory
be for a blessing? What bigger blessing can there be
(20:17):
in someone's memory? And it says if the person who
has passed on in this case is able to bring
their memory and their love and their blessing continually into
the world. And you can do that through organ donation.
You can do that of course, through the values you
perpetuate and the legacies you leave. But one of the
(20:38):
biggest is giving life to those who desperately need it.
And there are people who desperately need We need to
increase the awareness of organ donation. It's permissibility, it's even
what I might say, is a choice that people should
be encouraged to make when they're healthy and good and
like all is there, instead of at the last moment,
(20:59):
need to get this. We have this in living directives,
medical directives, Jewish medical directives. That is such an important
part of getting the word out so that we have
so many people that could benefit. And if we just
increase the awareness over and over and dissipate any of
the questions people might have, well, is it true I'm
supposed aren't I supposed to be buried whole? Well, you know, ideally, sure,
(21:22):
but here you have an opportunity to save lives. And
what could be greater than that.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
Pastored Pastor Leonard, tell us about your perspective. What what
kind of questions do you get in your congregation?
Speaker 2 (21:36):
I think, what what E mom? And what rebi? You
know what what they've said is basically what we deal with.
Two people wonder, well, uh am I going to be resurrected?
How am I going to be resurrected if if you
take my organs away? And so forth, and we have
to come back to say to them, well, you know
that we have an understanding about the about about this
(21:58):
cremation that haveapens more to people are created in the
world than than than than buried in the world because
of land use. But understanding that understanding that if you're
going to give your organs, you're giving life and that
you can be rather you will be resurrected, because that's
why as we MoMA said, you will be resurrected at
the time. God has a way of doing that, and
(22:20):
Rapie said that too, God has a way of doing it.
We cannot we cannot fathom how God thinks, fathom God's
purpose and so we can't fathom all that. So we
can't imagine, Well how do I how do I I
give away my organs and then I'm going to be resurrected.
But that's going to happen. God can do it. So
we say that because God is God, so God is
(22:42):
able to do us. But we're able to give life.
So I say the many people who are dealing with
this kind of situe. There's those questions and so forth.
I say, well, listen, the most important thing is giving
life understanding that you as we go from this earth,
we can't even take our bodies with us. They stay
behind and they go into the dust, you know, go
back to to earth and turn into dust, and so forth.
(23:04):
If you can help someone help someone, a good thing.
I think a good thing for me has been when
there's somebody in in the congregation who's on a waiting list.
People have to hear that, hear how this person has struggled,
how they hope, they hope that some will come come
on and and and and be able to donate an
(23:25):
organ for them that they can live. And when you
know those people who are struggling on the list, that
tends to make people think twice, maybe maybe I can
do something like that, or maybe if we can encourage
somebody else, you know, And and I'm thinking that, I
know people are still afraid, but when they know someone
who's struggling, who's on the list, then it comes more
(23:48):
like almost into your into your room, into your house,
and hears someone that's struggling, what can be done? We'll
pray for them, but we hope that that somebody, somebody
will be able to donate an organ to help this person.
So that's that's one of the things that is very helpful.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
Pastor Cynthie Slater, mother, donor, mother and advocate. Studies show
that five thousand people in our region are waiting for
a life saving transplant, with communities of color disproportionately impacted.
Why is it so important for trusted faith voices to
(24:25):
help bridge the gap?
Speaker 6 (24:28):
Well, as as we heard from the other leaders, because
people come and they really look to you know, the
church leaders and house of worship leaders as a voice
of reason, you know, so it's very important for us
(24:49):
to get that information to other spiritual leaders so that
they can get the word out. As as we heard
the other pastors and rabbi and emon say that, you know,
people don't have the information, so they're making decisions based
on misinformation and no information. So the more that we
(25:11):
get the information out, then the more that people will
be knowledgeable, because people are once they hear the information,
they are excited. And you know, I've had people come
to me and say, you know, when I went to
renew my license or I thought about what you said,
and I looked up that, you know, the website, and
I made a decision to donate. So but they said,
(25:31):
each one, teach one.
Speaker 1 (25:33):
Yeah, Evatt, I'm going to give you the last word,
because your story is really about the extraordinary gift that
the gift of life has provided for you, your family,
your community. And I wonder what your message would be
to those listening out there who are on the fence,
who may have heard all these misconceptions, may have certain
(25:56):
misinformation on their own part and their reluctance to to
take that step to become a potential organ donor. What
would be your message to them?
Speaker 5 (26:08):
My message to them would be to look at me.
I can't even begin to talk about how much I've thrived.
And this month actually is both of my transplant anniversaries
November twenty third, and I mean November twentieth and November
(26:30):
twenty fourth. And you know, when we don't when we
don't have information, like I know, I wouldn't be as
aware of in donation if I had not gone through
my experience, and so that makes it mean a lot
more than me. And so I just would encourage people
(26:51):
to research, make sure you not just put it on
your license, but let your family know what your wishes are.
Because my cousin, she knew that her her father wanted
to donate, but she wasn't going to because she was
just grieving. She was just so hurting, And so it's
(27:14):
just always better to have the conversations and consider the
fact that in you making that sacrifice, because it is
a sacrifice, you know you're you're letting go of your
loved one, and I empathize with that. But to actually
be able to experience and see someone that's living and thriving,
(27:37):
I've been able to go and share with others across
the world. Actually, that was a unique situation of being
able to share my story and the fact that my
faith has definitely strengthened and encouraged me along this journey
to know that through my journey of pain and struggle,
(27:57):
that I'm able to help others to know that there
is hope, There is a future where people can help
somebody else make a difference in the world, and they
will not be able to even get an understanding of
(28:17):
the level of impact that it would have on other
families to be so generous and.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
Kind, And as both the mom and Rabbi have stated
saving one life saves the world. So you can save
the world so easy. Just sign up for the Gift
of Life. Each November, Gift of Life Donor Sabbath brings
together faith leaders from across traditions to share this one
vital message that oregon and tissue donation is an act
(28:44):
of love, compassion, and charity. All major religions in the
United States support donation as a selfless gift that saves lives.
We've been joined by Imam, doctor Raymond Brock Murray, Pastor
Charles Leonard, Rabbi Michael Singer, Cynthia Slater, reverend and donor,
mother and advocate, and Yvette Mason, a two time liver recipient.
(29:06):
As we've heard today, organ donation is truly an act
of love that transcends faith, culture, and background. Again, every
major religion supports it as a gift of compassion and humanity.
During Gift of Life Donor Sabbath this November, take a
moment to have that important conversation with your family and
your faith community. You can skip the trip to the
(29:28):
DMV and register right now at Donorswe do o RG
Together through faith and action, we can honor the spirit
of giving and help more people receive the gift of life.
Thank you all for joining us today.
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