Ross Township Boy Starring In Organ Donation Campaign

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ROSS TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) - A little boy from Ross Township is starring in a statewide campaign that encourages people to become organ donors.

Rockland Harvey was born with a tumor attached to his cornea. He received a cornea transplant when he was just six weeks old.

"When he was born, it was really just obvious that something was wrong," Rockland's mom Danielle said. "But we knew we couldn't just do nothing. Light wasn't going to get to the back of his eye, and he wouldn't have developed properly."

Now that's he's 4 years old, his family is telling their story to convince others to sign up.

"At each one of his birthdays so far, instead of gifts we ask that people donate instead," Danielle Harvey said. "They gave him the best gift of all, which was the gift of sight. I was not an organ donor before this happened, but I went out and got my license changed so that I could be an organ donor."

According to the center for organ recovery and education, one person can save up to eight lives and help improve the quality for 75 others. Almost 8,000 people in Pennsylvania are waiting for a transplant.

The "Human Side of Donation" campaign, facilitated by Donate Life Pennsylvania, showcases real-life vignettes of the individuals and families personally affected by organ and tissue donation. From donor families, to donation recipients, to those on the transplant waiting list, the vignettes show how organ and tissue donation truly affect all of us. Stories will be highlighted as features on social media and in digital ads statewide.

"In our work, we see the incredible impact of organ and tissue donation over and over again," said Susan Stuart, president and CEO of the Center for Organ Recovery and Education in Pittsburgh.

More information on the campaign can be found at donatelifepa.org.