What is National Donate Life Month? - PowerPoint Presentation

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What is National Donate Life Month?

Observed in April each year, National Donate Life Month helps to encourage Americans to register as organ, eye and tissue donors and to honor those who have saved lives through the gift of donation.

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When creating this image, Donate Life America 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.

The Donate Life garden depicts an ecosystem of plants, insects, and other components working together to form an interconnected living system. Similarly, we each have the potential to nurture and enrich our communities through organ, eye and tissue donation. This National Donate Life Month, we ask you to be a part of this lifesaving and healing garden by registering as an organ, eye and tissue donor; becoming educated about living donation; and championing the Donate Life cause

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Why Promote Donation?

There are currently more than 100,000 people in the U.S. waiting for organ transplants. Each year, approximately 8,000 people die waiting for an organ transplant that would have given them a second chance at life.

Approximately two citizens in the Commonwealth of Virginia die every week waiting for the gift of an organ that does not come.

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Will I Really Make a Difference?

Yes. Donation saves lives every day. Hundreds of Virginians have organ transplants each year and receive a second chance at life.

Additionally, each year hundreds of thousands of people benefit from donated tissue that is used for life-saving and reconstructive purposes, and corneas that restore sight.

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As a Donor, How Many People Can I Help?

By becoming an organ, eye and tissue donor at DonateLifeVirginia.org one person can donate a heart, two parts of a liver, two kidneys, two lungs, intestine and a pancreas. One tissue donor can enhance the lives of more than 75 people. One cornea donor can bring sight to two people.

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What is Living Donation?

Living donation is when a living person donates an organ or part of an organ to another person. The living donor may be a relative, friend, spouse or an in-law. Or the donor may be a stranger who has volunteered to help someone else.

Living donation usually involves one of these organs: a segment of the liver, the lobe of one lung, a kidney, or a portion of the pancreas. Living donation is an alternative for individuals awaiting organ transplantation from a deceased donor.

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What is the Donation Process for a Deceased Donor?

When an individual passes away in a Virginia hospital, the hospital contacts its designated organ procurement organization (OPO) which then facilitates the donation process. The OPO will determine whether the patient was a registered organ, eye and tissue donor through the Donate Life Virginia Registry (by signing up online or at the DMV).

If the patient made the choice during their lifetime to register as an organ, eye and tissue donor, our team counsels and supports the donor’s family as we honor the donor’s decision to save life. If the patient had not made a decision, the patient’s family is invited to make the choice about donation on their loved one’s behalf.

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What is the Donation Process for a Deceased Donor?

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After the patient or their family makes the decision to give the gift of life, the OPO clinical staff consults with the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) and transplant hospitals to find matches on the national waiting list.

When matches are found, organs are allocated based on need and proximity so that those who are in the most need nearby are able to receive a lifesaving transplant from the generous donor.

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What is the Donation Process for a Deceased Donor?

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The organs, eyes and tissues are recovered in a hospital operating room just like any other surgery…with the utmost respect to the donor’s body.

The transplant surgeons come from the transplant centers to the hospital where the donor died and they each recover the organ(s) for their patients. The organs are packaged and transported very quickly to the transplant centers where the patients are waiting to receive them.

Tissue recovery specialists then recover donated tissue. Eye bank recovery specialists recover corneal and scleral tissue.

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What is the Donation Process for a Deceased Donor?

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When the recovery process is complete, the donor’s body is returned as close as possible to its normal appearance before being returned to the custody of the family.

Organ, eye and tissue donation does not interfere with whatever plans the family has made for burial or cremation. A donor can even have an open casket funeral.

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Donation Facts

Many myths and misconceptions about donation exist in the community.

Knowing the facts about donation can help you make the donation decision that’s right for you!

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Donation Fact:

Most people are not too old or unhealthy to donate.

At the time of death, donation program professionals will review your medical and behavioral history to determine if you are a candidate for donation. In most cases anyone can be a donor. To date, the oldest donor in the U.S. was 102 years old!

People with HIV can donate to people who also have HIV. They have their own waiting list. Cancer survivors can also potentially be organ donors.

Don’t rule yourself out because of your age or medical history. If you want to be a donor, then register and let the donation professionals determine which organs and tissues are transplantable when the time comes.

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Donation Fact:

Your decision to donate will not affect your medical care if you are admitted to a hospital.

By law, the doctors who work to save your life 

are not

 the same professionals who are involved in transplantation and organ donation. If you are admitted to the hospital, you will receive the same level of care regardless of whether or not you have indicated your wish to be an organ, eye and tissue donor. The doctors treating you are not involved with transplant programs or possible recipients.

In addition, 

doctors and hospital staff do not have access to the Donor Registry

. Only donor program personnel can access the Donor Registry – not the medical professionals taking care of you.

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Donation Fact:

Famous or wealthy people do not get transplants quicker.

The organ allocation and distribution system is blind to wealth or social status. A national computerized matching system is used to place available organs with potential recipients. Patients added to the waiting list are assigned a number. Their number and the medical information needed to match them to a donated organ is the only information about them in the database. There are no names, addresses, professions or incomes.

The length of time it takes to receive a transplant is influenced by a variety of factors including location, severity of illness, physical characteristics (blood type, weight, genetic typing, and size) and length of time on the waiting list. Factors such as income or celebrity status are never considered when determining who receives an organ.

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Donation Fact:

All major religions support organ, eye and tissue donation.

All major religions support organ, eye, and tissue donation and consider donation the greatest gift one can give. Transplantation is consistent with the life preserving traditions of these faiths. The donation of life is an act of human kindness in keeping with religious teachings.

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National Donate Life Month is Coming!

How can I help promote organ, eye and tissue donation?

Encourage your friends, family, co-workers and acquaintances to register as donors at DonateLifeVirginia.org. If you haven’t already, make sure to add your own name!

Those who live outside of Virginia can add their name to the national donor registry at RegisterMe.org.

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Participate in National Donate Life Month Events.

Starting with the kick-off on April 1 you could…

Use your Social media to spread the word about donation with information such as:

What is National Donate Life Month?

Why is it important?

Why do you think people should register as organ, eye and tissue donors?

Take part in the Donate Life Virginia Walk and Talk Challenge.

Walk with a friend 2.4 miles in honor of 2,400 Virginians waiting for organ transplants.

Walkers can participate in the contest all month using the hashtag ?????.

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Observe special days throughout April such as:

Donate Life Living Donor Day – 4/7

Donate Life Virginia will highlight living donors’ stories throughout the day. Share these stories on your social media platforms.

Donate Life Volunteer Appreciation Day – 4/10

Donate Life Virginia will give a shout out to all who help make our mission possible. Help us honor these volunteers by sharing their stories on your social media platforms.

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Get busy during

Donate Life Spirit Week -- 4/10 – 4/16

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Help us celebrate National Pediatric Transplant Week – Week of 4/18

Donate Life Virginia will post a pediatric transplant story each day.

Share our pediatric transplant stories on your social media platforms.

Encourage the young people in your life to take part in the Donate Life Coloring Page Contest.

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Downloadable materials, social media graphics and other resources can be found on-line at the Donate Life America site donatelife.net/celebrations.

There you will find items such as:

Garden note squares

Coloring pages

Social media graphics for Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

Social media posts and cover images

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For more information about National Donate Life Month, scheduled events, or other observances throughout the year visit:

DonateLifeVirginia.org or DonateLife.net

Thank you for your support of organ, eye and tissue donation!