National Donate Life Month 2023

Donate Life Month 2023 is the 20th anniversary of celebrating organ donation as a national named month. For 20 years this has been the time to honor and thank those who have given the gift of life, received the gift of life and the healthcare workers for their dedicated work for our patients.

From Donate Life America, the theme for 2023 Donate Life Month is Make a Splash for Organ Donation. The frogs are a sign of healing and renewal, and the water lilies represent hope. The lily pads we see on the surface of a pond are part of a much larger plant rooted below the water. The water lily plant reminds us of the support and collaboration needed for hope to bloom.

Here are the significant dates and occasions to celebrate this year:

• April 5th is Donate Life Living Donor Day. If your life was enhanced by a living donor, celebrate them today!
• April 14th is Blue & Green day. Find your blue and green attire and take a selfie, post to social media, share statistics and pictures! You can share your ideas and photos with us on Facebook at Transplantation at Mayo Clinic.
• Say thank you to your care team, your donor, your donor family and your caregivers who have been a part of your transplant journey. Make them a card or use a simple text, call or FaceTime to share your gratitude!
• Share your story on social media if you are comfortable doing so. On Facebook, you can tag Donate Life America (@DonateLife) and Transplantation at Mayo Clinic (@MayoClinicTransplant) or use #nationaldonatelifemonth.
• Change your photos online – cover photos and profile pictures on social media or print materials for hanging at your house or business are available with the materials provided on the Donate Life webpage.  (instructions and assets are found under social media section).

There were more than 42,800 transplants performed in 2022 in the United States. Kidney transplants in the U.S. exceeded 25,000 for the first year ever and records were also set for liver, heart and lung transplants.

While this is something to celebrate and appreciate, the need for organ donation is still critical.

One donor can impact up to 85 lives, 75 lives from tissue donation, 8 lives from solid organ and 2 lives from cornea donation. You can register to become an organ donor from your home. If you know someone interested in registering, share this with them. If you’ve registered with your driver’s license office, you can still sign up for the registry with this link.

Do you have any suggestions on how to 'celebrate' National Donate Life Month this year? Share them below!

HELPFUL LINKS

• Learn about how you can celebrate National Donate Life Month
• FAQs about organ donation
• Register to become a living donor
• Learn more about our discussion group at Mayo Clinic Connect