A month to honor and celebrate.

Here in Virginia, April is a beautiful time of year. The weather gets warmer. Nature awakens from its winter slumber. And life flourishes all around. But maybe the most important thing about April is that it’s National Donate Life Month (NDLM).

For National Donate Life Month 2023, Donate Life America was inspired by the natural world of a pond coming to life in the spring.

Frogs (and toads!) are a sign of healing and renewal, and water lilies represent hope. The lily pads we see on the surface of a pond are part of a much larger plant rooted below the water. The water lily plant reminds us of the support and collaboration needed for hope to bloom.

During this month-long celebration, you can take part in several events and activities designed to honor those who have saved lives through the gift of organ donation. We also encourage everyone to register as an organ, eye and tissue donor. Here are some reasons why registering right now is more important than ever:

• Of the 100,000 U.S residents waiting for a lifesaving transplant, 2,400 live right here in Virginia.
• 17 people die each day because the organ they need is not donated in time.
• Another person is added to the waiting list every 9 minutes.
• Only 55% of Virginians have signed up to be organ, eye and tissue donors.
• One organ donor can save and heal more than 75 lives.

If you haven’t already, please update your donor registration. It takes less than a minute, gives hope to those who are waiting and builds stronger communities here in Virginia. And that is truly beautiful.