National Donor Sabbath 2013 Talking Points
What is National Donor Sabbath?
National Donor Sabbath is part of a donation initiative launched by the United States
Department of Health and Human Services in 1997. Observed on Friday through Sunday two
weekends before Thanksgiving, the national designation consolidated the individual donation
efforts of many faith communities into a national effort for all faiths who wish to participate. The
three day observance seeks to include the days of worship of major religions practiced in the United
States.
Donation and transplant professionals join faith communities to focus on the lifesaving and
healing gifts passed to others through organ, tissue and blood stem cell donation. Faith
leaders, donor families, and transplant recipients participate in services and programs to increase
awareness of donation and transplantation. Those who donate heal and strengthen not just their
recipients, but families, friends, and the larger community.
Many people turn to their faith leaders for help when dealing with life and death issues.
Nearly every religion in the United States officially supports organ and tissue donation or supports
the individual choices of its members. Donation is viewed by most religions as an act of compassion
and generosity, and National Donor Sabbath is celebrated in many houses of worship, often with a
transplant recipient sharing a personal story of receiving “a second chance at life.”
Many people are unaware that all major religions in the U.S. support both living and deceased
donation.
 Buddhists believe organ donation is a matter of individual conscience.
 The Hindu Temple Society of North America proclaims it is an individual Hindu’s decision.
 Followers of Islam are encouraged to give their organs upon death or while living.
 In Judaism it is considered an honor and a great mitzvah to give the gift of life.
 The Vatican considers organ donation for all Catholics an act of charity and love.
 Christians recall that the 12 disciples were sent out with the imperative to heal disease and
illness: "Heal the sick...freely ye have received, freely give." (Matthew 10:8) All major
denominations of Christianity in the U.S. encourage organ donation.
Donation Facts
 The number of registered donors is at an all-time high – over 100 million Americans – but
still some 7,000 people die each year waiting for a transplant
 The transplant waiting list continues to grow and is now over 120,000.
 98,000 people are waiting for a kidney, the organ most commonly in need.
 Every year, the lives of about 500,000 Americans are saved by organ and tissue donation.
 Of the patients waiting, 15,886 (13%) are in need of a liver transplant. 98,463 people (82%)
are in need of a kidney.
 Every 12 minutes another name is added to the national transplant waiting list.
 Approximately 1,500,000 tissue transplants are performed annually.
 Approximately 6,000 living donations occur each year. One in four donors is not biologically
related to the recipient.
 On average, a single tissue donor can save or heal the lives of more than 100 people.
Our State
 In Colorado and Wyoming 2,398 people are currently waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant.
 67% of Coloradans and 59% of Wyomingites are registered organ, eye and tissue donors.
 Of those waiting, 1,684 are currently waiting for a kidney—the organ most in need (70%)—and
612 are waiting for a liver (25%).
 Colorado has one of the nation’s highest-performing state donor registries with nearly 67% of
driver’s license/ID card applicants registering as organ and tissue donors.
What You Can Do
All people of faith are encouraged to think about organ donation from their individual faith’s
perspective.
 Talk with your friends, family, and congregation about living and deceased donation.
 Register as an organ donor.
 Honor living and deceased donors according to your religion’s traditions and practices.
 Speak with other similar congregations in your area about National Donor Sabbath and see
if they will collaborate with you to host an event.
Donor Alliance is the federally-designated, non-profit organ procurement organization and an American Association of
Tissue Banks (AATB) accredited tissue bank serving Colorado and most of Wyoming. As a recognized leader in facilitating
the donation and recovery of transplantable organs and tissues, Donor Alliance’s mission is to save lives through organ
and tissue donation and transplantation. To achieve this mission, Donor Alliance employs an effective family approach
and recovery programs in more than 100 hospitals. Donor Alliance also inspires the public to register as organ and tissue
donors through community partnerships, public outreach and education campaigns throughout its donation service area.
For more information visit the Donor Alliance website, or the Donate Life Colorado or Donate Life Wyoming Facebook
pages.