Pippa Mann will bring message of organ donation to Indy 500

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — IndyCar driver Pippa Mann slowed down to surprise a few transplant patients at St. Vincent Hospital on Thursday. The visit comes just days before the beginning of National Donate Life Month.

She talked cars, laughed and even shared pictures with them.  

“I’m going to be driving a 230-miles-per-hour billboard around Indianapolis Motor Speedway this May talking about the Driven to Save Lives campaign,” said Pippa Mann. 

The Driven 2 Save Lives campaign raises awareness on the importance of organ donation. 

The decision for Mann to become a donor was personal. 

“It actually took losing two friends of mine whom were donors, one of whom was Bryan Clauson. After Bryan passed away, and I found out that Bryan was also an organ donor and he went on to save five lives and heal countless others through tissue donation, that was the moment for me,” said Mann.  

Around 1,300 people in Indiana are waiting for a life-saving organ. About 260 of them live in Marion County.  

“Should the worst thing happen for your family, on the worst day potentially of your family’s life, maybe they can take a little bit of hope from the fact that you went on to become a hero… for someone else,” Mann said. 

Just one donor can save up to eight lives.  

“We do our best actually to work with these kids even before transplant, so they understand the whole process,” said Dr. Ahmed Elsabbagh of St. Vincent Hospital. “And we keep and keep working with the parents — what we are doing, what we are going to do — so they understand the process.” 

Registering to become a donor is as simple as ticking a box. To learn more on the process, visit Indiana Donor Network.