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April is National Donate Life Month

 
30 Days to Help Save a Life: What to Do in April
National Donate Life Month was established in 2003. Every day in April, people across the U.S. make a special effort to celebrate the tremendous generosity of those who have saved lives by becoming organ, tissue, marrow, and blood donors and to encourage more Americans to follow their fine example.
Make it known: I want to be a donor
  • Register with your State Donor Registry, if available.
  • Say YES to donation on your driver's license.
  • Tell your family, friends, physician, and faith leader that you want to be a donor.
  • Fill out and sign a donor card, have it witnessed, carry it with you.
Tell someone: The need is great and growing.
  • More than 98,000 people are in need of an organ for transplant.
  • Each day, about 77 people get the organ transplant that gives them a second chance, but 17 to 19 others die because they did not receive an organ transplant.
  • More than half the people on the waiting list for a donated organ are racial or ethnic minorities. Chances of getting a transplant increase if donor and recipient share the same racial/ethnic background.
Get involved: Become a donation advocate.
  • Encourage your company, association, union, or other organizations to which you may belong to join the Workplace Partnership for Life.
  • Promote and support work site donation campaigns.
  • Tell your local high school about Decision Donation, a school program that educates students about donation.
  • Participate in local National Donate Life Month events sponsored by your local organ procurement organization.

 

 
Promote Organ & Tissue Donation
US Department of Health & Human Services