Waltham Celebrates National Donate Life Month

Waltham, MA – On, Thursday April 11^th at 10:00 AM, Mayor Jeannette McCarthy will join individuals personally touched by donation, and the New England Organ Bank to proclaim April as Donate Life Month in Waltham, encouraging citizens to register as organ and tissue donors.   

What: April as Donate Life Month in Waltham

Who: Mayor Jeannette McCarthy, individuals personally touched by donation, and New England Organ Bank

Where: Waltham City Hall

When:  Thursday, April 11^th, 10:00 AM 

New England Organ Bank celebrates this April as the 10^th annual National Donate Life Month. The celebration commemorates those who have received or continue to wait for lifesaving transplants as well as the families of individuals who chose to be donors.  In 2012 over 640 lives were saved here in New England because of the generosity of individuals who became organ donors.  Thousands more lives were enhanced through the gift of tissue donation.  With the need for life-saving transplants growing every day - over 117,000 patients are now on the US transplant wait list - it is crucial to educate our communities about taking action to register as donors.

There are now 110 million registered donors in the United States; still, the number of people in need of transplants continues to rise.  The solution to this problem is to continue educating the public about the lifesaving effects of donation and transplantation and encouraging them to sign up through their state donor registry.  The vast majority of individuals in MA (99%) register to be an organ and tissue donor at the state Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV). 

National Donate Life Month is an opportunity to continue our education efforts, celebrate the lives saved and enhanced through donation and honor the donors who made the ultimate gift.  

To register to be a donor or for more information visit www.DonateLifeNewEngland.org  

About New England Organ Bank: New England Organ Bank is the federally-designated, non-profit procurement organization responsible for the surgical recovery of organs and tissues for transplant throughout the New England region.

 About Donate Life New England: Donate Life New England is a joint project of two federally designated organ procurement organizations that serve New England – LifeChoice Donor Services and New England Organ Bank. They have come together to create a fast and easy way for citizens of New England to register as organ and tissue donors in a secure and confidential manner.  For more information, visit www.DonateLifeNewEngland.org.