National Donor Day: Spreading Love, Saving Lives

This February, Donor Alliance—a nonprofit dedicated to saving and healing lives through organ and tissue donation for transplantation—celebrates more than just Valentine’s Day. It’s also National Donor Day, American Heart Month, and Black History Month, creating a meaningful opportunity to highlight love, awareness, and the power of community.

National Donor Day, Time to have a #HeartConversation

Since 1988, February 14 has been celebrated as National Donor Day. It’s an observance dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of organ, eye, tissue, bone marrow and blood donation. It is also a reminder that more than 100,000 people in the U.S. are currently on the national transplant waiting list for a life-saving organ transplant. Every eight minutes, another person is added to that list. One person can save up to eight lives through organ donation.

But it doesn’t stop there—tens of thousands of people also rely on tissue transplants each year for healing from trauma, disease, or blindness. One person can also save and heal up to 75 lives through tissue donation. The impact of your decision to be a donor gives hope to those who are waiting.

If you have the heart on your driver license, that means you are a registered organ and tissue donor. During National Donor Day, Donor Alliance encourages people to have a #HeartConversation with their loved ones about their decision. For families facing loss, knowing their loved one’s decision can bring comfort in their darkest moments. We encourage you to talk openly with your family and friends about donation.

The Critical Need for Donation

While anyone can need a life-saving transplant, certain communities face disproportionately greater challenges. For example, African Americans are three times more likely than Caucasians to develop kidney failure, resulting in a significantly higher need for kidney transplants. Similar disparities exist for other organ needs and within other racial and ethnic groups. These disparities underscore the critical importance of education and outreach to ensure equitable access to transplantation.

How to Get Involved

Registering is simple:

• At the DMV: Check the box and say “yes” to registering as an organ, eye and tissue donor when obtaining your driver license.
• Online: Visit DonorAlliance.org to sign up on the donor registration, Donate Life Colorado and Donate Life Wyoming.
• Share your decision with your family. A #HeartConversation ensures your decision to donate is honored in a difficult time.

Living Donation

Living donation offers another way to save lives. You can donate a kidney or part of your liver. Over 85% of those on the transplant list need a kidney, so living donation provides hope for those awaiting kidney transplants. 

Learn more at the National Donate Life Living Donor Registry. Many transplant hospitals specialize in both deceased and living donor transplants. It’s important to understand the risks of kidney donation before becoming a living kidney donor.

American Heart Month

February is also American Heart Month, a time to raise awareness about heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States. The COVID-19 pandemic had lasting effects on heart health, with many people adopting unhealthy habits such as poor eating, lack of exercise, and increased alcohol consumption—all of which contribute to heart disease. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), heart disease remains a major health threat in the U.S. and worldwide.

During American Heart Month, the AHA and other organizations stress the importance of heart health, the need for more research and efforts to ensure that millions of people live longer, healthier lives.

You can find more information about how to prevent heart disease at any age on the American Heart Association’s AHA website.

Black History Month

During Black History Month, Donor Alliance highlights donors and their families, living donors, transplant recipients and advocates from the African American community. These members take pride in serving their communities. Many advocates educate and share their personal stories about the importance of organ, eye and tissue donation.

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, African Americans represent approximately 12.2% of the U.S. population. More than 28,000 African Americans are waiting for an organ transplant—about 28% of the national waiting list. African Americans are also the largest minority group in need of organ transplants. This highlights the urgent need for increased awareness and education about donation within the African American community. 

Tony Young’s Story, Heart and Kidney Recipient

Tony Young’s journey is a testament to the life-saving power of donation. He had his first heart attack at 25, and a second in his 30s. By 2020, he was placed on the waiting list for a heart transplant. “A total whirlwind. I started to decline rapidly. I contacted my cardiologist’s office to tell her how I was feeling and was told to come in that morning. She sat down with me, looked at me, told me she had known me for a long time and just by looking at me she had a feeling she was going to have to admit me. That afternoon I had a right heart catheterization and was told I would not leave the hospital with my native heart. The staff was amazing, I couldn’t have gone through the quick process without them.”

After a month in the hospital, Tony received the call that a donor heart was available. Three years later, Tony is living life to the fullest, enjoying his passions like walking, cooking, driving, and listening to his favorite music—metal bands like Slayer. Tony is also an active volunteer with Donor Alliance and Donate Life Colorado.

Today, we honor Tony’s donor and their family, who said “yes” to donation, and we celebrate the second chance at life Tony was given. The transplant team works diligently to ensure the best outcome for every transplant candidate.

Have the #HeartConversation

This February, Donor Alliance invites you to talk with your family and loved ones about organ and tissue donation by having a #HeartConversation about this important topic. It’s also crucial to stay informed and raise awareness on how it affects and impacts different communities. Also, take care of your heart, literally. To register as an organ, eye and tissue donor, check the box and say “yes” at the DMV when you get your driver license or register today at DonorAlliance.org.