April is National Donate Life Month, a celebration honoring the generosity of organ, eye and tissue donors and their families and commemorating all transplant recipients in the United States.
Activities taking place around the country this month will focus on supporting Donate Life America’s new campaign, 20 Million in 2012, which looks to add 20 million new organ, eye and tissue donors to state donor registries in 2012. For more information about Donate Life America and to register as a donor, please visit www.donatelife.net.
Originally a weeklong observance, former Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson officially sanctioned the extension of the celebration in 2003 to include the entire month of April. The Boomer Esiason Foundation acknowledges the importance of educating communities nationwide about the renewing power of donation and encourages everyone to register as organ, eye and tissue donors.
While 2011 marked the achievement of 100 million designated organ, eye and tissue donors in state donor registries, the need for organ, eye, and tissue transplants is steadily increasing. Adding more donors to every state registry is critical and that is why this past January, Donate Life America launched its bold new campaign 20 Million in 2012 in order to mobilize the masses to register as donors this year.
“We need to spread the word that donation changes lives every day,” Boomer Esiason said. “These remarkable changes are made possible because someone like you made the decision to donate. You too have the power to donate life. I urge you to act now.”
To register as donor or for more information please visit www.donatelife.net.
To find out more about how organ donation affects the cystic fibrosis community, please visit the “Become an Organ Donor” page on our website.