FOR RELEASE: Upon Receipt
Contact: Natalia Burkart (518) 262-5606 or nburkart@cdtny.org
10TH ANNUAL NATIONAL DONATE LIFE MONTH OFFERS HOPE TO THOSE AWAITING LIFE
SAVING TRANSPLANTS
Waiting list for transplantable organs in the United States soars to over 112,000 at the end of 2011
ALBANY, N.Y., April 1, 2012 - For the tenth consecutive year, April has been declared “National Donate Life”
month in order to draw attention to the urgent need for organ and tissue donation. This year’s Donate Life month
campaign is especially significant as it will serve as one of the vehicles to drive Donate Life America’s national goal
of registering 20 million new organ, eye and tissue donors in 2012. Adding 20 million registered donors to the
existing 100 million Americans that have taken the steps to donate life will undoubtedly give newfound hope to
those in need of a transplant.
Just one organ and tissue donor can help save or enhance up to 50 lives. Donated organs can include the heart,
lungs, liver, kidneys, pancreas and small intestine. Donated tissues can include skin, corneas, bones, veins, cartilage,
heart valves and tendons. These donations do not only save lives; they can give sight to the blind, prevent
amputations, and repair the skin of a burn victim.
Today, over 112,000 men, women and children are waiting for a life-saving organ transplant. This statistic includes
over 10,000 New Yorkers. Over 28,000 organ transplants were performed in 2011. However, the demand is still
much greater than the supply, with an average of 19 Americans dying every day due to the shortage of donor organs.
New Yorkers can register to be an organ and tissue donor by joining the New York State Donate Life Registry
available online at www.donatelifecdt.org. The most important step in deciding to become a donor is to share this
decision with friends and family.
For more information on donation, please contact the Center for Donation & Transplant at 1-800-256-7811 or (518)
262-5606.
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About the Center for Donation & Transplant: The Center for Donation & Transplant (CDT) facilitates organ and
tissue donation in northeastern New York and western Vermont. CDT ensures that the option of donation is offered
to the family in an informative and compassionate manner, and provides long-term support and comfort to families
and hospital personnel involved in the donation process.