April is National Donate Life Month, a national observance highlighting the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation. Flag-raising ceremonies bring awareness of what it means to be an organ donor and highlights the partnership between Donor Alliance, Donate Life Colorado and Boulder Community Health.
Sometimes the ‘perfect match’ isn’t about finding love—it’s about giving life. Meet Sherri and Calvin of Aurora, Colo. Calvin is a kidney and two-time liver recipient. Thanks to the generosity of a donor and their family, Sherri was given 10 more precious years with her husband Calvin following his first life-saving kidney transplant. When Calvin went into kidney failure for a second time, something extraordinary happened – Sherri was found to be a match, making their story a powerful example of living donor stories that showcase the impact of giving.
“It saves a life and gives a person more life,” said Sherri. “You don’t realize what that means until it knocks on your door. But I feel like it shouldn’t have to knock on your door to understand it’s truly about saving someone’s life and giving them more life.”
Stories like Calvin and Sherri’s emphasize the incredible power of kidney transplant donor stories—from living donors who register at transplant centers to help those in need today to those who register at the DMV to give the ultimate gift after their passing.
Calvin and Sherri’s health and happiness today are made possible by those who say “Yes” to organ, eye, and tissue donation. Their journey is one of many organ donation stories that highlight the profound impact of these life-changing decisions. The two of them say they love to make music together; Sherri sings, and Calvin plays the drums and guitar. They both love to travel and explore new places, cherishing every adventure as a celebration of the second chance they’ve been given.
In Colorado and Wyoming, nearly 99% of donor registrations happen at the DMV when people get their driver license—but starting in 2025, MyChart organ donor registration will provide a new, convenient, and secure way to sign up as an organ, eye, and tissue donor! Thanks to a collaboration between Donate Life America, which manages the National Donate Life Registry, and Epic, a leading healthcare software developer, residents will soon be able to register directly through MyChart. This innovative approach makes it easier than ever for Coloradans and Wyomingites to say “yes” to saving and healing lives—all from the comfort of their own healthcare portal.
Donor Alliance is excited about this new feature to further its mission of saving and healing lives through organ and tissue donation in Colorado and most of Wyoming. MyChart is utilized by more than 180 million people across the United States, so it will reach more people about this important cause! It allows patients to access their medical records, communicate with providers, and now, there is MyChart registration. With nearly 1,300 Coloradans and Wyomingites currently waiting for lifesaving organ transplants and tens of thousands more in need of a tissue transplant, this new online donor registration provides them with more hope.
How the Donate Life and Epic Program Works
Through a gradual rollout starting in spring 2025, you’ll see an option in MyChart to register as an organ and tissue donor—right from your phone or computer! Anyone 18 and older will have the ability to register as a donor directly through MyChart. Importantly, your decision to register remains private and is not visible to your medical care team. MyChart registration is a significant step forward in simplifying, securing, and expanding access to donor registration.
The MyChart Organ Donation Registration Advantage
This secure and convenient feature allowing for MyChart organ donor registration increases accessibility, so you can make your life-saving decision within your own healthcare portal.
All registrations are securely recorded in the National Donate Life Registry, ensuring your decision to donate is honored nationwide. MyChart organ donor registration also reinforces first-person authorization, meaning your choice carries full legal authority.
Importantly, donor status remains private. It is never visible to your medical care team or stored in your medical record. Only donation professionals can access this information—and only when needed to honor a person’s heroic decision to give the gift of life.
Join the Lifesaving Movement in Colorado and Wyoming
If you use MyChart in Colorado or Wyoming, take a moment during your next login to register as an organ, eye, and tissue donor. Your decision could one day save up to eight lives through organ donation and save and heal up to 75 more lives through tissue donation. Can’t access MyChart? Register online today at DonorAlliance.org, or speak with your healthcare provider if they have not yet enabled this feature on MyChart.
The Proclamation project for National Donate Life Month started again in 2022 with a goal of raising awareness about the importance of registering as an organ, eye, and tissue donor in as many localities throughout the Donor Alliance service area as possible. What is a Proclamation? It is a formal public statement typically issued by a mayor, city official, or governor to recognize the importance of a community for an event or major national observance. Some proclamations are often read during regular meetings or sessions. Please join us as the Denver City Council proclaims April as National Donate Life Month.
