Honoring hope, courage and life
[April 1, 2020-Richmond, VA]— Every April, Donate Life America (DLA) leads the observance of National Donate Life Month (NDLM) to focus national attention on organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation. During NDLM, DLA encourages everyone to share the importance of registering their decision to be a donor, honor deceased and living donors, and recognize the lifesaving and healing gift of transplantation.
NDLM 2020 also marks the 20th year 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 recognizing 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 recognize the life made possible by the decision of individuals and the dedication of donation and transplant professionals.”
Key observances of National Donate Life Month 2020:
National Donate Life Blue & Green Day, April 17, 2020
This year for National Donate Life Blue & Green Day, the public is encouraged to wear blue and green Donate Life colors to help spread awareness about organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation. DLA hosts a national Blue & Green Day photo contest through the Donate Life America Facebook page for everyone to show their creative blue and green spirit. Information and free public resources for download are available at DonateLife.net/blue-green-day/.
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 free 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 observe National Pediatric Transplant Week.
National Donate Life Month Artwork
Each year, DLA creates unique artwork for National Donate Life Month. 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. 112,000 people across the country are currently waiting for a lifesaving transplant. On average, 20 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.
Register your decision to be an organ, eye and tissue donor at RegisterMe.org or in the Medical ID tab of your iPhone Health app.
*Data from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) as of March 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.
Donate Life America media contact:
Hilary Kleine Czarda
804-377-3584
hczarda@donatelife.net
