National Donate Life Month 2024

April is National Donate Life Month. We celebrate this month to honor those that

have donated and to raise awareness about organ donation and encourage people to register as an organ, eye and tissue donor.

From Donate Life America, the theme for 2024 Donate Life Month is the night sky, stars and the universe. Look up to the night sky and the billions of stars that make up the universe. Stars remind us that even in the darkest night, there is light.

Here are some ways for you to celebrate this year:

• April 12th 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 #DonateLife.
• 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 at the bottom of the page).

There were more than 46,000 transplants performed in 2023 in the United States, an 8.9% increase over 2022. According to UNOS, the organs were distributed as follows:

• More than 16,000 individuals became deceased organ donors
• More than 6,000 individuals became living organ donors
• More than 10,000 Black patients received transplants
• More than 27,000 kidney transplants were performed
• More than 10,000 liver transplants were performed
• More than 4,000 heart transplants were performed
• More than 3,000 lung transplants were performed

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
• Learn about organ donation from Mayo Clinic
• Register to become a living donor
• Learn more about our discussion group at Mayo Clinic Connect