[April 1, 2020 -Little Rock, AR] — April is National Donate Life Month. Every year, Arkansas Regional Organ Recovery Agency, (ARORA) partners with Donate Life America in the celebration of National Donate Life Month (NDLM) to focus attention on organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation — to share the importance of registering your decision to become a donor, honoring both deceased and living donors and celebrating the lifesaving and healing gift of transplantation. This year, National Donate Life Month activities are being conducted as virtual events.
“This April, we want to remind everyone that they can help save and restore lives. Registering your decision to be an organ, tissue and eye donor takes less than a minute and gives hope to those waiting. The decision to register as a donor is the beginning of a story that may bring life and healing to more than 75 people, their families and their communities,” says Alan Cochran, President and Executive Director of ARORA.
During April, ARORA celebrates that 68 percent of Arkansas adults have registered their decision to make LIFE possible as organ, tissue and eye donors at the time of their death. ARORA is also dedicated to bringing attention to the national transplant waiting list, 115,000 people are currently waiting for a lifesaving transplant. On average, 22 people die each day because the organ they need is not donated in time — almost one person dying every hour. Thousands more people are waiting for lifesaving and healing tissue and eye transplants.
Arkansans can register to become organ, tissue and eye donors at donatelifearkansas.org, at their local Department of Motor Vehicles or by utilizing one of ARORA's swipe kiosks located in Little Rock, Cabot, Bryant and Pine Bluff.
National Donate Life Month (NDLM) has three national elements and features celebrations that ARORA participates and supports:
● National Donate Life Month – April 2020
● National Donate Life Blue & Green Day – April 17, 2020
● National Pediatric Transplant Week – April 19-25, 2020
● National Donor Day of Remembrance - April 30, 2020
ABOUT ARORA
The Arkansas Regional Organ Recovery Agency (ARORA) was established in 1987 as a non-profit, independent organ procurement agency. Serving 64 counties across the state, ARORA is headquartered in Little Rock and has a satellite office in northwest Arkansas. ARORA’s mission is to restore lives through the recovery of organs and tissues for transplant.
About Donate Life America
Donate Life America (DLA) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization leading its national partners and Donate Life State Teams to increase the number of donated organs, eyes and tissue available to save and heal lives. DLA manages and promotes Donate Life℠, the national brand for the cause of donation; motivates the public to register as organ, tissue and eye donors; provides education about living donation; manages the National Donate Life Registry at RegisterMe.org ; and develops and executes effective multi-media campaigns to promote donation.