February 14 is National Organ Donor Day. This day, which happens to be recognized on Valentine’s Day, serves to create awareness about organ donation and the significant need for organ donors throughout the country.
The statistics for those in need of organ donations are significant. It is estimated that approximately 17 people die each day while waiting for an organ transplant, and that a person is added to the transplant list every nine minutes. One donor can donate up to eight life-saving organs, as well as other tissue, blood, or marrow that can help someone in need. Many people are in support of organ donation but may be unaware of how to register as a donor or have questions about what the organ donation process actually involves. Organ Donor Day seeks to help answer those questions, get people registered and increase the number of life-saving transplants performed each year.
One of the ways National Organ Donor Day is observed is through blood donations. You may have noticed there seem to be an increased number of blood donation events on Valentine’s Day, and this is one of the main reasons for that. You can check with your local American Red Cross for blood banks and donation drives if you would like to give blood. Giving blood can seem intimidating if you have never done it before, and some people are unable to give blood for various reasons, but most who give blood find a sense of reward knowing they are helping to save a life without too much time or effort or the need to give money.
For more information on the significance of organ donation, visit https://www.donatelifenw.org/ or https://www.organdonor.gov/. You can learn more about organizations that coordinate donations, how to become a donor yourself, or how to contribute to these organizations, as well as about the organ donation process in general. There are also many heartwarming firsthand stories of organ recipients whose lives have been saved or greatly improved through the generous gift of a donor. Regardless of whether you will be doing something special to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year, donating blood or otherwise helping to spread awareness of the need for organ donations is something everyone can look into doing on February 14!
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