April 10 is National Donate Life Blue & Green Day

There are many reasons why someone might need a transplanted organ, eye, or tissue. It might be because of an accident, a disease, or a congenital condition.The need for donated organs is great. There are over 100,000 people on the US organ transplant waiting list.

Everyone is a potential donor. Your race, gender, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status don’t matter. Your blood type and body size will be matched with the person needing a transplant. All major religions support organ donation as a charitable act. There is no cost to the donor’s family, and they can receive emotional support.

The colors of the Donate Life awareness ribbon are blue and green. Consider signing up to be a donor on Friday, April 10.

To register in the US:

•  Select “yes” to organ donation on your driver license
•  Sign up at https://RegisterMe.org
•  Find your state registry at https://www.organdonor.gov/sign-up

To register in some other countries: 

• In the UK, sign up at https://www.organdonation.nhs.uk/register-your-decision/donate/
•  In Canada, sign up at https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/healthy-living/blood-organ-tissue-donation.html
•  In Australia: https://www.donatelife.gov.au/register-donor-today
•  In Germany: https://organspende-register.de/erklaerendenportal/
•  In France, Portugal and Spain, you are automatically considered a donor, unless you opt out.

Each donor can help many people. An organ donor can save 8 lives by donating their heart, lungs, liver, pancreas, kidneys, and intestines. A tissue donor can help 75 people by donating bone, tendon, veins, arteries, heart valves, nerves, skin, and corneas.

It is especially important to understand that although organs are not matched between the race of the donor and recipient, compatible blood types and tissue markers are more likely found among persons of similar ethnicity. Donor diversity is necessary because persons of minority ethnicity make up a larger proportion of the donation waiting list then their proportion in the general population.

Click here for information, free downloadable resources, and social media covers on National Donate Life Blue & Green Day:

https://donatelife.net/how-you-can-help/national-observances-celebrations/blue-green-day/

Click here for information on National Donate Life Month:

https://donatelife.net/how-you-can-help/national-observances-celebrations/ndlm/

You can also visit the April is National Donate Life Month poster set on Healthinfo Island. Here is the SLURL:

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Healthinfo%20Island/50/28/28

Be a hero. Register as a donor today.