Trail Blazers Game Program

Organ and tissue donation solidifies kersey’s legacy of charity

Former Trail Blazer, #25 Jerome Kersey, was a true giver his entire career — right until the very end.

Few people realize when Kersey died unexpectedly in 2015 at age 52, that his legacy of service didn’t end. Kersey was an eye and tissue donor - and as a result - the lives of eight children in a burn center in Texas were saved. Nearly 200 other lives were enhanced and, in fact, Kersey’s cornea donation was used in groundbreaking eye surgery improving four patients’ lives.

Donate Life Northwest is proud to partner with the Blazers to raise awareness of organ, eye and tissue donation and celebrate the life of Jerome Kersey tonight.

Kersey spent nine of his 17 NBA seasons with Portland and helped the Blazers reach the NBA Finals in 1990 and 1992. After retiring, Kersey remained a key figure in the Blazer family as an active volunteer supporting many local children’s health charities. He loved working with the kids and would often scoop them up to shoot a basket, letting them experience what it’s like to be 6 foot, 7 inches. Strong. Tall. Caring.

Tell your family your wishes to be and organ, eye and tissue donor.

“In the U.S. we have 120,000 sons, daughters, moms and dads waiting for a lifesaving transplant,” said Leslie Brock, Executive Director of Donate Life Northwest. “3,000 of them live in the Pacific NW, waiting to hear a match has been found.”

Yet, a shortage of living and deceased and organ and tissue donors means not everyone receives a transplant on time. And, donation is more than just organs. Cornea donation restores sight to thousands annually. A single tissue donor can enhance more than 50 lives - healing a burn victim, saving the life of a newborn with congenital heart defects, replacing tumorous bones and more.

“It’s not a talk most people want to have, but it’s important to tell your family your wish to be a donor,” Brock said. “It’s as simple as saying it out loud.”

By registering donors in the Pacific NW, Donate Life Northwest gives hope to those on the waiting list.

To register or learn more, visit www.donatelifenw.org