For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
April 4, 2001
National Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Week, 2001
By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation
Organ and tissue transplantation is one of the
most significant advances in medicine. Wonderful success
stories give hope to people of all ages, and donors and their families
deserve our deepest gratitude. Their extraordinary
generosity and foresight have given countless individuals the
opportunity to rear a family, hold a job, and pursue fuller and more
active lives.
Unfortunately, many people are
not able to reap the benefits of remarkable transplant
technology. More than 75,000 Americans are on the national
organ transplant waiting list, and every 13 minutes, another person
will be added to the waiting list. Sadly, each day, 15 of
those on the waiting list will die because the need for organs far
exceeds the number donated.
The Department of
Health and Human Services and health professionals across the country
are dedicated to improving these statistics. By becoming
organ donors, Americans can join in this important mission to help
those suffering from a life-threatening illness caused by the failure
of a vital organ. Persons can participate by -simply
completing and carrying a donor card and informing family and friends
of their wish to donate. Such decisions will make a
significant difference in the number of available organs for donation.
Many Americans have set a powerful example in
this regard, agreeing to become an organ donor and taking a selfless
action that may potentially save lives. I encourage other
Americans to consider organ donation and to join me in expressing
gratitude for those who have already made the gift of life.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President
of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in
me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby
proclaim April 15 through 21, 2001, as National Organ and Tissue Donor
Awareness Week. I call upon medical professionals,
government agencies, private organizations, and educators to join me in
raising awareness of the need for organ donors in communities
throughout our Nation.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I
have hereunto set my hand
this fourth
day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand one, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
twenty-fifth.
GEORGE
W. BUSH
# # #
|