April is National Donate Life Month: Saving Lives Through Transplantation Remains Great

Each April, Donate Life America leads National Donate Life Month, an observance focusing national attention on the need and importance of organ, eye and tissue donation. National Donate Life Month is about the importance of registering your decision to be a donor, honoring deceased and living donors, and celebrating the lives they saved. It is the generosity of donors and donor families that makes saving lives through transplantation possible.

Donate LifeSM is the national brand for the cause of donation, uniting the hundreds of donation and transplantation organizations; the more than 100,000 patients waiting for transplant, with over 1,200 waiting in Alabama; the life and legacy of the millions of recipients in the United States and their families; the donor families who say yes in their time of grief; and the more than 170 million people who have registered their decision to be a donor and help others at the end of their life.

“This April, we want to remind everyone that they can help save a life,” said Christy Keahey, executive director of Legacy of Hope. “Registering your decision to be an organ, eye and tissue donor takes less than a minute and gives hope to those waiting. Each decision to register as a donor is the beginning of a story that may bring life and healing to more than 75 people, their families and their communities.”

Donate Life America creates unique artwork each year to celebrate National Donate Life Month that is used in resources and events throughout April. The 2024 National Donate Life Month artwork and theme, Donors are SuperStars, was inspired by the night sky and the billions of stars that make up the universe. Stars remind us that, even in the darkest night, there is light. The decision to be an organ, eye and tissue donor gives hope and light to the 100,000 people on the national transplant waiting list who are waiting for a second chance at life. That is why donors are superstars.

The community is invited to support this vital cause and make a difference in the lives of those waiting for lifesaving transplants with several events this April.

Ways to participate in National Donate Life Month 2024:

UAB Donate Life Softball Game, April 6, 2024

Join UAB Softball at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 6, as they take on North Texas in the UAB Donate Life Softball Game. This annual event was inspired by Andy Jackson, whose wife died in need of a lung transplant, and serves as an opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation. This year’s game will feature an opening pitch by a transplant recipient.

National Donate Life Blue & Green Day, April 12, 2024

On Donate Life Blue & Green Day, everyone is invited to show their blue and green colors in support of the Donate Life message and mission. DLA hosts an annual National Donate Life Blue & Green Day Photo Contest through DonateLife.net. The photo contest is open to the public, and each year photos are submitted showcasing incredible blue and green spirit and creativity. More information can be found at DonateLife.net/blue-green-day/.

Several locations across Alabama will be blue and/or green on around April 12, including:

• Children’s of Alabama, Birmingham
• The Kirklin Clinic at UAB Hospital Fountain, Birmingham
• Court Square Fountain, Montgomery
• RSA Tower, Montgomery
• Renaissance Mobile Riverview Plaza Hotel, Mobile
• Regions Park, Birmingham
• Boll Weevil Monument, Enterprise

Celebration of Life Picnic, April 20, 2024

Legacy of Hope is excited to host the 2024 Celebration of Life Picnic. This event brings together transplant recipients, donor family members, living donors and supporters of the Donate Life community to celebrate organ, eye and tissue donation. Contact Ann Rayburn for more information at arayburn@legacyofhope.org.

Donor Remembrance Day, April 30, 2024

Donor Remembrance Day is hosted by the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations and serves as a day to honor and celebrate Donor Heroes who have given the gift of life through organ, eye and tissue donation. Together the community will “plant” forget-me-not flowers to memorialize these heroes, and to celebrate their unforgettable impact on the lives of others. This virtual event is a way for families to connect and continue to honor their loved ones’ memory.

Give hope and help save lives by registering to be an organ, eye and tissue donor at legacyofhope.org, at the local DMV or in the iPhone Health App. Share the Donate Life message by educating others about how their generosity can help save and heal lives.

Learn more about living donation as another way to help those waiting for a second chance at life.

What is happening in Alabama?

DMV Décor Contest

Multiple counties and licensing centers across the state have decorated their offices in honor of National Donate Life Month. Starting April 1, visit the Legacy of Hope Facebook page to check out their creativity and vote for your favorite. Voting ends April 29 at 5 p.m. The winning office will receive a prize and bragging rights for a year.

Donate Life Flag Raising

Several hospitals across Alabama will fly Donate Life flags as part of their National Donate Life Month activities. The Donate Life flag serves as a display of unity, remembrance and hope. Each one is a symbol to honor heroic organ, eye and tissue donors. The flag raising ceremonies are often held at 1:08 p.m., symbolizing that one donor can save eight lives. Follow our local hospitals on social media for more information about how they are supporting National Donate Life Month.

*Data from the Donate Life America Registry Overview Report, organdonor.gov, and Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network as of January 2023.