(Ames, IA) -- Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames is among numerous hospitals taking part in Donate Life Month, to celebrate Iowa donors who give lifesaving gifts as well as the transplant patients who receive the lifesaving gifts. The hospital is hosting an event this (Friday) afternoon to mark the occasion.
The Iowa Donor Network says In 2022, a record number of lives were transformed through organ and tissue donation in the United States, but the number of people in need of transplants continues to outpace the number of donor organs. The Iowa Donor Network says there are more than 105,000 Americans currently waiting for a life-saving organ transplant, 600 of them live in Iowa.
Donate Life Month celebrations will be held at hospitals, EMS agencies and driver’s license stations across Iowa throughout April. Buildings across the state will also Light Up For Life and illuminate their buildings in green through the month. National Blue & Green day in honor of donation is on Friday, April 14th. For more information about Iowa Donor Network activities please visit IowaDonorNetwork.org.
Photo from Iowa Donor Network:
“My daughter, Justina, passed away from an accident on 2011. We have had contact with the heart recipient and that has been a blessing for both of us. Meeting him helped with our grieving process. Her heart now lives in and belongs to her recipient, Seng.” - Robyn