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April Is Donate Life Month

ROCKY Hill — April is National Donate Life Month, a month designated to recognize the critical need for organ, tissue, and blood donation.

The organ donation gap has been steadily increasing. The national transplant waiting list has climbed from 83,000 persons to 87,000 in the past year and more than 500 of those individuals are from Connecticut.

According to the National Kidney Foundation of Connecticut, every month more than 2,000 new names are added to the national waiting list. About 17 people die every day while waiting for a transplant of a vital organ such as a kidney, heart, or liver.

“The medical miracle of transplantation has saved more than 100,000 lives since its introduction in 1954,” said Kim Hathaway, CEO of the Kidney Foundation. “If everyone who could donate actually did, we would drastically reduce organ transplant waiting lists. Most people don’t realize that just one donor can save or enhance up to 50 lives.”

Persons who are 18 years of age or older may become a donor by signing a Uniform Donor Card or the organ donation declaration on their drivers’ licenses. They should also notify their family about their decision.