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National
Donor Sabbath: November 14-16, 2003
Donate Life
Faith organizations
throughout the nation will join with healthcare professionals,
transplant recipients, donor families, living donors, and those
waiting for transplants to observe National Donor Sabbath on November
14-16.
During the
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday two weekends before Thanksgiving,
faith communities will hold services and celebrations focused
on the life-affirming gifts of hope shared by organ, tissue, marrow
and blood donors. Faith leaders will participate in discussions
of donation and transplantation and implement activities to increase
awareness of the critical need for donors.
"The
goal of our Gift of Life Donation Initiative," says Health
and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson, "is to get
information out, to encourage families all over America to understand
the importance of organ donation, and to increase the number of
donors. People need to talk to their families and make their intentions
known. Organ donation is a gift that proves beyond a doubt that
out of tragedy can come hope...out of death, new life."
In churches,
mosques, temples and other places of worship, the manner of observing
the 8th annual National Donor Sabbath will vary. But every National
Donor Sabbath observance will provide an opportunity for faith
leaders, representatives from organ procurement organizations,
and other donation advocates to participate in discussions of
sharing that greatest of gifts - life. Most religions in the United
States, whether they officially support organ and tissue donation
or leave it to individual choice, consider donation to be an act
of compassion and generosity.
Each year,
participation in National Donor Sabbath increases, yet more people
need to be aware of donation. Those who donate organs, tissue,
marrow and blood are life savers and life enhancers who share
gifts beyond measure.
- Nearly
83,000 men, women, and children were on the organ transplant
waiting list as of September 24, 2003.
- Donation
and transplantation save lives, but the need for organs far
exceeds the number donated.
- Despite
the almost 25,000 organ transplants performed in 2002, each
day last year 18 people died, on average, because there was
no healthy organ available to replace their failing heart, kidney,
liver, lung, or pancreas.
- More than
33,000 blood donors are needed each day in our nation.
- Tthousands
of Americans each year need corneal or other tissue transplants.
- An average
of 3,000 individuals at any given time are searching for an
unrelated marrow donor.
For
more information on participating in National Donor Sabbath,
contact Joy Demas, jdemas@hrsa.gov,
301-443-7577
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