National Donor Sabbath Encourages Organ Donation

Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today commended faith organizations throughout the nation for their leadership and initiative in conducting the 7th annual observance of the National Donor Sabbath on November 15-17.

“We want to get information out, to encourage families all over America to understand the importance of organ donation, and to increase the number of donors,” Secretary Thompson said. “People need to talk to their families and make their intentions known. Organ donation can save or enhance so many lives. You, too, can make a difference.”

Churches, temples, mosques and other places of worship across the nation celebrate the Donor Sabbath by joining with local Organ Procurement Organizations and other advocates of donation to urge Americans to consider being life-saving donors of organs, tissue, marrow and blood. Participating faith organizations encourage donation in sermons, make donor cards available, honor donor families and transplant recipients, and conduct other unique events to encourage donation.

In Colorado, the Donor Awareness Council is teaming with faith organizations to sponsor the planting of daffodil bulbs in city parks in Denver. With the help of volunteers they hope to plant 1,400 bulbs to represent the number of people on the Colorado waiting list for life-saving organs. The bulbs should bloom in time for National Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Week in April to remind Colorado’s citizens of the lives that can be saved or enhanced by donation.

Similarly, the Illinois Coalition on Donation, which educates the public about organ and tissue donation, observes National Donor Sabbath with an ecumenical service and open house. Their service is made up of a series of brief homilies by religious leaders of different faiths and a memorial wall of donors.

Participation in National Donor Sabbath has increased each year, but more individuals must become aware of donation. As of November 12, 2002, more than 80,000 men, women, and children were on the organ transplant waiting list. Donation and transplantation saves lives, yet the need for organs far exceeds the supply. In 2001, an average of 66 people each day received a transplant for a total of more than 24,000 organ transplants. Yet, thousands more critically ill individuals could have been helped if more organs were available. Each day 17 people die, on average, because the healthy organ that could have replaced their failing heart, kidney, liver, lung, or pancreas is not available.

For more information on the National Donor Sabbath, visit the organ donor web site at: http://www.organdonor.gov/NatlDonorSabbath2002.htm.

# # #

Note: All HRSA press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://newsroom.hrsa.gov

Go to:  HRSA News Room | HRSA | HHS  | Accessibility | Privacy | Disclaimers | Search | Questions/Comments?