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Rutherford Regional Health System (RRHS) is asking the community to help it call attention to National Donate Life Month being celebrated in April.
National Donate Life Month (NDLM) was instituted by Donate Life America and its partnering organizations in 2003. Celebrated in April each year, NDLM features an entire month of local, regional and national activities to help encourage Americans to register as organ, eye and tissue donors and to celebrate those that have saved lives through the gift of donation.
Currently, nearly 124,000 men, women and children are awaiting organ transplants in the United States, including approximately 71,000 multicultural patients and approximately 2,000 pediatric patients. Sadly, on average, 21 people die each day because the organs they need are not donated in time.
There were 28,953 organ transplants performed in 2013 and 14,257 organ donors in 2013. More than 47,000 corneas were transplanted in 2013.
More than 1 million tissue transplants are done each year and the surgical need for tissue has been steadily rising. People of all ages and medical histories should consider themselves potential donors. Your medical condition at the time of death will determine what organs and tissue can be donated.
According to Donate Life America, “Organ, eye and tissue transplants offer patients a new chance at healthy, productive, and normal lives and return them to their families, friends and communities. A single tissue donor can save or heal up to 50 people.”
More than 121 million people, approximately 50 percent of the U.S. adult population, are registered organ, eye and tissue donors. Rutherford Regional is encouraging the public to register as a lifesaving and healing donor by visiting www.DonateLife.net. RRHS also invites the public to celebrate National Blue & Green Day on April 17 to encourage others to consider becoming an organ donor.
