April is National Donate Life Month

“Last year, American doctors completed our Nation’s one-millionth organ transplant, a tremendous milestone in the history of a procedure pioneered and honed in America.

We are now performing transplants at a record pace, with higher success rates and increased lifespans for recipients.  Still, every 10 minutes, someone new joins the waiting list — fighting organ failure or blood cancer, their futures hanging in the balance.  More than 100,000 people, including 1,900 children, are currently on the waiting list.  A majority of them are people of color, for whom it can sometimes be more difficult to find a good donor match.  Seventeen Americans die every day while waiting for a transplant.

…. More than 400,000 Americans in every corner of our country are alive today thanks to the tremendous generosity and courage of organ donors.  During National Donate Life Month, we honor donors and their families who have turned pain into purpose by sharing the gift of life with loved ones in need or countless others whom they have never met.  We encourage everyone to follow their lead and register as an organ, eye, tissue, or bone marrow donor, bringing hope and healing to so many others.” [Source Link]