Become an organ donor, save a life

Granted the number of months dedicated to a specific topic is hard to follow.

It seems every month has a number of subjects it’s dedicated to — National Hot Dog Month, Movie Matinee Month, National Bike Month, etc. OK, we made those up, but you get the idea.

April brings a month that perhaps we should take notice of — National Organ Donor Month.

According to it’s website, “National Donate Life Month is a time to educate about organ, eye and tissue donation, and to honor and remember donors and the lives they have saved and healed.”

A decision to be an organ, eye and tissue donor gives hope to the 100,000 people on the national organ transplant waiting list.

“In our region alone, there are 5,000 people on the waitlist,” Kendall Bunch, media relations coordinator for Gift of Life Donor Program, said.

“It’s sad because the need for life-saving organs continues to far exceed the supply. There are 17 people on the wait list who die every day.”

There really is no reason not to, and literally 100,000 reasons to become one. More than 100,000 people are waiting on the national transplant waiting list for lifesaving organ transplants. Another person is added to the national organ transplant waiting list every 8 minutes.

Over 5,600 people in the U.S. die each year while on the transplant waiting list.

There is some good news. The waiting time for a new kidney has decreased from five to three years, according to the organization Donate Life. Considering 86% of those waiting for an organ are waiting for a kidney, that truly is good news for many.

A kidney from a living donor offers patients an alternative to years of dialysis and time on the national transplant waiting list. And a kidney from a living donor will actually grow in size and do the work of two healthy kidneys. Gift of Life only handles deceased donations.

“Transplants mean a new lease on life,” Bunch said.

More than 2.5 million lifesaving and healing tissue transplants are performed each year. More than 78,000 corneal transplants alone helped to restore sight in 2023.

The need is real.

The outcomes of transplants improve the lives of thousands each year.

Consider becoming a donor. As we said above, there really is no reason not to. All major religions allow organ transplants, and it will have no impact on your health or health care while you are alive.

Even better yet, consider becoming a living donor. You can do it simply by going to donorone.org or Donors1.org. You will make the world a better place for someone.

— Times Leader