Did you know that April is Donate Life Month?  If you are anything like me, you totally support the idea of helping others through organ donation, but really don’t know much about it or how to go about helping others. Check out this video made in partnership with Donate Life America and Genentech who have developed the “Play Through with Erik Compton to Donate Life.”

Erik joins news anchor and kidney donor, Phillip Palmer, and a group of organ transplant recipients, including professional soccer player Samuel Gordon, and athletes Eric Drear, Cristian Sanchez, Nick Wallace, and Jennifer Golden. Each individual shares their personal experience with organ donations and explains that they are alive and healthy today because people chose to be organ donors.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services currently reports there are “more than 123,000 patients who are waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant.” Many Americans may not be aware of this surprising statistic.  I know I certainly wasn’t!

Donate Life has found that 90% of Americans say that they support organ donation, however only 30% are aware of the correct steps needed to be taken in order to become a donor.

If you would like to become organ donors, you can visit Donate Life America at www.donatelife.net for more information about donation, how to register in your state’s donor registry and, importantly, explains to us how to tell our families about our decision. Discussing organ donation with family members helps ensure their organ donation wishes are honored.