VIENNA, Va. – August 6, 2015 – On Wednesday June 10th, 2015, the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO) recognized Sherri Ly of Fox5 News with the Association’s 2015 Crystal Heart Award. The award was generously sponsored by the Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation (MTF). The Crystal Heart Award honors one print or web-based media representative or one broadcast media representative for their outstanding efforts to accurately depict the science and reality of organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation to the public. The award was presented at AOPO’s 32nd Annual Meeting.
Sherri Ly received the AOPO Crystal Heart Award for her five-part human interest series on Fox5 News about the power of living donation. Lesley Compagnone, Public Affairs and Community Education Manager at Washington Regional Transplant Community (WRTC) announced that, “As an Investigative Reporter for Fox5 News, Sherri was known for her tenacity, her tough search for honest answers, her dynamite story-telling skills and her commitment to her viewers. Little did she know that these traits would carry her, and her family, through one of the most difficult and beautiful journeys of her life.”
This Power of Living Donation series follows Sherri through her journey of donating a kidney to her dying brother in need of a transplant. Through this deeply personal experience, she felt a responsibility to research facts, report truths, bust myths, and share with the world her unique experience as a living donor. Ms. Ly is a tremendous public supporter and advocate for organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation.
In front of a crowd of nearly 900 attendees in Phoenix, Sherri Ly accepted the Crystal Heart Award stating, “I hope with my story I have encouraged at least one more person to sign their donor card, or given someone the courage to be a living donor.”