Every April, Mid-America Transplant joins Donate Life America (DLA) in celebration of National Donate Life Month (NDLM), focusing national attention on organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation. During NDLM, we encourage everyone to share the importance of registering their decision to be a donor, honor deceased and living donors, and celebrate the lifesaving and healing gift of transplantation.
During NDLM 2020, Donate Life America will also be celebrating 20 years of the Donate Life℠ symbol. Since 2000, Donate Life has been recognized as the national symbol for the cause of organ, eye and tissue donation. Blue, green and the swirl represent the sky, earth and circle of life. The Donate Life symbol is a call to action, asking the public to Donate Life — to register their decision to save and heal lives and consider living donation.
The Donate Life brand unites the hundreds of donation and transplantation organizations and the hundreds of thousands of patients, recipients, living donors, donor families, supporters and patients waiting.
“This April, we are celebrating the generosity of donation that has grown from the public over the past 20 years,” says David Fleming, President & CEO of Donate Life America. “National Donate Life Month is a time to educate about the donation cause, honor donors and donor families, and celebrate life made possible by the decision of individuals and the dedication of donation and transplant professionals.”
Key celebrations and features of National Donate Life Month 2020 include:
National Donate Life Blue & Green Day, April 17, 2020
On National Donate Life Blue & Green Day, the public is encouraged to wear blue and green Donate Life colors to spread awareness about organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation. DLA hosts a Blue & Green Day photo contest through the Donate Life America Facebook page for everyone to show their creative blue and green spirit! Information and public resources are available at DonateLife.net/blue-green-day/.
This image won the 2019 Community Choice Award of Donate Life America's Blue & Green Day Contest.
National Pediatric Transplant Week, April 19-25, 2020
The last full week of National Donate Life Month is dedicated to kids. National Pediatric Transplant Week provides a platform to talk about the potential of ending the pediatric waiting list, to share transplant program innovation and patient stories, and to honor donor families whose children have saved and healed lives through donation. Information and public resources are available at DonateLife.net/pediatric-transplant-week.
Donate Life America (DLA) partners with the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), the American Society of Transplantation (AST), and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS) to celebrate and promote National Pediatric Transplant Week.
National Donate Life Month Artwork
Each year, Donate Life America (DLA) creates unique artwork for National Donate Life Month (NDLM). The NDLM 2020 art was inspired by the springtime scene of a garden. A garden and the insects within it serve as symbols of hope, courage and transformed life — themes repeatedly found within the donation and transplantation journey.
Donate Life America recognizes and thanks the 60 percent of U.S. adults who have registered their decision to save lives as organ, eye and tissue donors at the time of their death — and the record number of nearly 7,400 living donors whose generosity saved lives in 2019. Nearly 112,000 people across the country – and about 1,100 in the St. Louis region – are currently waiting for a lifesaving transplant. On average, 22 people die each day because the organ they need is not donated in time — almost one person dying every hour. Thousands more people are waiting for lifesaving and healing eye and tissue transplants. You can help by registering your decision to be an organ, eye and tissue donor, and learning more about the option of living donation.
Register your decision to be an organ, eye and tissue donor at SayYesGiveLife.org.
*Data from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) as of March 11, 2020
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About Donate Life America
Donate Life America (DLA) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization leading its national partners and Donate Life State Teams to increase the number of donated organs, eyes and tissue available to save and heal lives. DLA manages and promotes Donate Life℠, the national brand for the cause of donation; motivates the public to register as organ, eye and tissue donors; provides education about living donation; manages the National Donate Life Registry at RegisterMe.org; and develops and executes effective multi-media campaigns to promote donation.
Mid-America Transplant media contact:
Justin Phelps
O: 314-735-8467
C: 309-472-1878
jphelps@midamericatransplant.org