National Donate Life Month: Honoring the Gift of Life Through Organ Donation

April is National Donate Life Month (NDLM), a time to celebrate the lifesaving power of organ, eye, and tissue donation. This annual observance also honors the selflessness of donors and their families while encouraging everyone to consider registering as a donor. With over 100,000 people in the United States currently awaiting life-saving transplants, NDLM amplifies the importance of educated decisions surrounding donation and raises awareness about the transformative role it plays for recipients.

The 2025 theme of National Donate Life Month focuses on how individuals working together can create a “ripple effect” of hope for those on the transplant list. By becoming a donor, you have the power to impact up to 75 lives through tissue and organ donation.

Three Facts:

1. One organ donor can save up to 8 lives and improve the quality of life for many more through eye and tissue donation.
2. Certain donations, like living kidney or liver transplants, can occur while the donor is still alive, offering another direct way to help save lives.
3. Every 10 minutes, someone is added to the national transplant waiting list, highlighting the urgent need for new donors daily.

How to Participate:

1. Register as an organ, eye, or tissue donor by visiting your state’s donor registry or during your next driver’s license renewal.
2. Share your decision with your family and educate others about the life-changing impact of organ donation through social media or group discussions.
3. Attend or organize local NDLM activities, such as ribbon drives, remembrance ceremonies for donors, or education events on living donation.

Three Resources:

1. Donate Life America – National registry information and campaigns for Donate Life Month.
2. OrganDonor.gov – Comprehensive details about organ and tissue donation in the U.S.
3. United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) – Nationwide resources for the national transplant waiting list and donor matching.

Let’s use National Donate Life Month 2025 to champion the gift of donation and create a brighter, healthier future for those awaiting transplants. Together, we can ripple hope across communities.