Hospitals, health systems and organ procurement organizations such as Gift of Life celebrated National Donate Life Month in April.
This annual initiative highlights the successes of transplantation while drawing attention to the critical need for more organ and tissue donors in our country.
More than 6,500 men, women and children in our region, and more than 117,000 in the United States, are waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant. Sadly, 18 people die each day due to the lack of available organs for transplantation.
One organ and tissue donor can save or enhance the lives of more than 50 people.
“Gift of Life works closely with our hospital partners to help create the opportunity for meaningful donation, out of what is often a difficult, stressful situation for our donor families,” said Howard Nathan, president and CEO of Gift of Life.
“Knowing the importance of these gifts helps our health care partners to be dual advocates for both our donor families and transplant recipients.”
You can provide hope to the thousands of people waiting for the gift of life by registering online to be an organ and tissue donor.
It’s fast and easy. It takes only 30 seconds to register at www.donors1.org. Gift of Life has coordinated more than 34,000 organ transplants, along with more than an estimated 500,000 tissue transplants.
For more information, please call Gift of Life at 1-800-DONORS-1 or visit www.donors1.org.