Mark Gravel, husband of Elizabeth (Gibniewski) Gravel (a 1981 Lake Orion High School graduate), recently received a Shining Star Award for his outstanding work in promoting organ and tissue donation.
Gravel is director of donation initiatives for the University of Michigan’s Transplant Center.
Gravel, who married Gibniewski at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Lake Orion, received the award from Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land in December.
Land created the Shining Star Award to recognize those whose exceptional efforts encourage greater organ donor awareness.
‘Organ and tissue donation is truly the gift of life for someone who is critically ill and waiting for a lifesaving transplant,? said Land.
‘Mark’s passion is to ensure that each patient has the best chance possible for a healthy life—and that means the continued promotion of organ donation to medical personnel, patients and the public.?
Gravel, originally from Trenton, lives in Dexter with his wife and three children. He has worked for U-M Health System since 1990.
His dedication has placed the University of Michigan Health System in the limelight as one of three hospitals nationally with exceptional organ donation achievements.
Gravel is a registered nurse and certified procurement transplant coordinator. He educates hospital staff, and keeps himself available as a resource to ensure that organ donation is portrayed to families in a positive light.
He helped change hospital policy to allow families to donate their loved one’s organs at the point of cardiac death, once all measurements to save the patient’s life were exhausted.
Prior to his efforts, the hospital’s policy was to allow donation only at the point of brain death.
‘I can’t say enough about Mark’s effort and quality of work,? said Dr. Jeffrey Punch, director of the transplantation division at U-M Health System, who nominated Gravel for the award.
‘I think one of Mark’s best assets is his personality. His ability to get along with everyone really enables him to be an effective advocate for donation.?