Pictured are Representatives from South Central Regional Medical Center, Mississippi Organ Recovery Act and the City of Laurel.

The City of Laurel has declared the month of April as National Donate Life Month. Every year, Donate Life America leads the celebration of National Donate Life Month (NDLM) to focus national attention on organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation. South Central Regional Medical Center, Mississippi Organ Recovery Act and the City of Laurel join together to increase awareness and education on organ and tissue donation in the Pine Belt region.

“This month we join together to share the importance of registering your decision to be a donor, honor deceased and living donors, and celebrate the lifesaving and healing gift of transplantation,” said Sherry Brewer, Vice President of Emergency Services at South Central Regional Medical Center. “During this month, we want to remind everyone that they can help save a life. By registering to be an organ, eye and tissue donor you can restore hope to up to 75 people.”

Mayor of the City of Laurel, Johnny Magee, proclaimed that our community recommit to others by promoting and registering to become an organ and tissue donor. Registering takes less than a minute and gives hope to those waiting. Registration can be completed online at REGISTERME.org or any local motor vehicle agency.

Statistics of how donating life can affect others:

• In 2018, more than 36,500 transplants brought renewed life to patients and their families and communities (from more than 10,700 deceased and 6,800 living donors).
• More than 110,000 men, women and children await lifesaving organ transplants.
• Nearly 60% of patients awaiting lifesaving transplants are minorities.
• Another person is added to the nation’s organ transplant waiting list every 10 minutes.
• Sadly, 8,000 people die each year (on average 22 people each day — almost one person each hour) because the organs they need are not donated in time.
• 80% of patients on the waiting list are waiting for a kidney. The average waiting time for a kidney from a deceased donor is 3 to 5 years. A kidney from a living donor offers patients an alternative to years of dialysis and time on the national transplant waiting list (the living donor’s remaining kidney will enlarge, doing the work of two healthy kidneys).
• 12% of patients waiting are in need of a liver. Living donation of part of the liver can help these patients (the remaining portion of the donor liver will regenerate and regain full function).
• Nearly one-third of all deceased donors are age 50 or older; more than 7% are age 65 or older.
• Each year, there are approximately 30,000 tissue donors and more than 1.75 million tissue transplants; the surgical need for donated tissue is steadily rising.
• A single tissue donor can help more than 75 people.
• 48,000 patients have their sight restored through corneal transplants each year.
• More than 145.5 million people, approximately 58% of the U.S. adult population, are registered organ, eye and tissue donors.