Day 119: National Donate Life Month

National Donate Life Month raises awareness concerning organ donation and encourages Americans to become donors. DLA explains the need for continued education, because although “transplantation is one of the most remarkable success stories in the history of medicine… the need for organs and tissue is vastly greater than the number available for transplantation.”

More than 110,000 people are on the national organ transplant waiting list, according to data from the United Network for Organ Sharing, the nonprofit organization that maintains the national transplant database.  Every 11 minutes someone is added to the transplant waiting list. Every day approximately 75 people receive organ transplants. Every day about 18 people die waiting for an organ. Did you know one organ donor can save up to eight lives? One tissue donor can help as many as 50 people.

Right now over 1,800 children across the country are waiting for life-saving organ transplants.

Founded in 1986, the Children's Organ Transplant Association (COTA) helps children and young adults who need or have had a life-saving transplant by providing fundraising assistance and family support. COTA is the premier national organization helping alleviate the financial burden of families who have transplant-needy children and young adults. For more than two decades, COTA has helped raise millions of dollars for transplant-related expenses. COTA's priority is to assure that no child or young adult is denied a transplant or excluded from a transplant waiting list due to lack of funds. COTA has helped more than 1,300 children and adults and has raised nearly $50 million.

The Children's Organ Transplant Association exists to assist patients who require a life-saving organ, bone marrow, cord blood or stem cell transplant. They work with all transplant patients age 21 and under for any disease complication, and with any patient who needs a transplant due to a genetic disease such as Cystic Fibrosis or Sickle Cell Anemia.

Donation $5

To support Children's Organ Transplant Association, please visit:  http://www.cota.org/