News Release
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, Mar. 7, 2003
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HRSA Press Office
(301) 443-3376
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SECRETARY THOMPSON DESIGNATES APRIL AS
"NATIONAL DONATE LIFE MONTH"
HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today announced that the month of April will be observed as National Donate Life Month to help raise public awareness of the critical need for organ, tissue, marrow and blood donation.
"Each year the month of April brings springtime and nature's renewal," said Secretary Thompson. "Now, each April will remind all Americans of their own ability to renew and enhance life through the gift of donation."
In past years, the third week in April was designated as "National Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Week." The change to a month-long observance underscores Secretary's Thompson's commitment to donation, which began with his launching of the Gift of Life Donation Initiative just 75 days after taking office, and gives donation and transplant organizations more time to sponsor public awareness activities in their communities.
Thousands of people have already recognized the importance of giving the gift of life to others. In 2002, 22,741 organ transplants and more than 46,000 corneal transplants were performed in the United States, and an average of 173 transplants were facilitated each month by the National Bone Marrow Donor Registry.
The need, however, is still enormous. Close to 81,000 individuals are on the waiting list for organ transplants, and thousands need tissue and corneal transplants each year. About 30,000 people a year are diagnosed with blood diseases that may be cured by a marrow/blood stem cell transplant. And each day approximately 32,000 units of blood are needed, yet only about 5 percent of eligible blood donors give blood regularly.
"As someone whose life was saved by the selfless act of an organ donor, I urge Americans to embrace National Donate Life Month and to participate in honoring those who have donated by following their heroic example," said Stuart L. Brower, president of the Coalition on Donation and vice president of ABC Entertainment.
To honor living donors and deceased donors and their families from across the nation, following the April observance, the National Donor Recognition Ceremony and Workshop will be held from July 12-13 in Washington, D.C. Transplant recipients will be in attendance, along with representatives of regional organ procurement organizations and key transplant organizations. More information on the National Donate Life Month is available at www.organdonor.gov.
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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are
available at
http://www.hhs.gov/news.
Last Revised: March 7, 2003
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