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In This Issue:
BWH joins hospitals and communities across the nation to observe National Donate Life Month, raising awareness of the critical need for organ and tissue donation throughout the month of April.
Approximately 17 people die each day while awaiting a life-saving organ transplant. They are among the 83,000 people nationwide who are on the national transplant waiting list. Additionally, there are tens of thousands of individuals who are awaiting life-enhancing bone, heart valve, vein, skin and corneal transplants. Each day the individuals who are waiting watch the list grow longer and longer.
The need for organs and tissues for transplant is increasing at a rapid rate, and the need far exceeds the availability of these organs and tissues. To combat this imbalance and to make the “decision to donate” more meaningful, state legislatures across the country are adopting measures to make it easier to become a donor and to recognize the right of individuals to have their decision carried out.
As these measures take affect in our communities, hospitals, like BWH, continue to play a critical role in alleviating the donor shortage. Hospitals are the first to identify and refer potential organ donors to organ procurement organizations, like the New England Organ Bank, which provide a valuable service to local communities by ensuring that the wishes of those who want to be donors are accommodated.
For more information on organ and tissue donation or to learn how to obtain a donor card, call New England Organ Bank at 1-800-446-6362 or visit www.neob.org