Thursday, April 3, 2008

April is Organ Donation Awareness Month

It is 4:17 am. I cannot sleep.

As I sit here holding my precious, incredibly healthy child, I weep for a mother who has never been able to hold her baby without multiple tubes and medical devices between the two of them.

Her life is about to change...

I have been following a family through their blog about the mom who has Cystic Fibrosis and had to deliver their baby at 15+ weeks premature. This mother, Tricia, is as I type, going through a double lung transplant.

All because of someone who was willing to commit to donating their organs to be used after they pass on.

I am humbled at this concept. I have always been an organ donor, but am now such an avid believer when I read and hear about all of the statistics associated with organ donating.

Please, please, please consider this important decision and act. It takes just a few minutes of your time, but you alone could save multiple lives!

Click here to learn more about organ donation. Let's celebrate with this family by joining the list of organ donors.

Some statistics:

Although there have been advances in medical technology and donation, the demand for organ, eye and tissue donation still vastly exceeds the number of donors.

* Almost 100,000 men, women and children currently need life-saving organ transplants.

* Every 12 minutes another name is added to the national organ transplant waiting list.

* An average of 18 people die each day from the lack of available organs for transplant.

* In 2005, there were 7,593 deceased organ donors and 6,895 living organ donors resulting in 28,108 organ transplants.

* In 2005, 44,000 grafts were made available for transplant by eye banks within the United States.

* Approximately 1,000,000 tissue transplants are performed annually.

* According to research, 98% of all adults have heard about organ donation and 86% have heard of tissue donation.

* 90% of Americans say they support donation, but only 30% know the essential steps to take to be a donor.
Please join me in praying for this family and for all of the other families that await an organ to save a life of a loved one.

1 comment:

Patience Leino said...

Praying right alongside you, Amy. You continue to shine the light of love & Christ in a way that, quite honestly, leaves me humbled & grateful to call you friend. Love you, girl.

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