Each year, America celebrates February 14 as Valentine’s Day. This fun holiday is full of love, but February 14 is also National Donor Day for the United States. For donor day, America honors the organ, tissue and blood donors throughout the country. Since 1998, America celebrates National Donor Day with educational events that promote organ donations and bring awareness to this national cause. Organ donations truly save lives for thousands of people each year. There is often confusion about how organ donations work so follow along and learn more about National Donor Day 2017.
Organs, Blood and Tissues
Donors can serve in various ways. Donations help every time of year. It is common to see more promotions for blood drives after a natural disaster or traumatic event. However, there are always people in need of donations. Donations include blood, platelets, plasma, bone marrow and other tissues. So, it is beneficial when people take the time to donate after serious events, but remember to donate regularly as well. There are time constraints from one donation to another so contact a local blood bank for more details on donations for your area.
Equal Healthcare
The small red heart toward the bottom of a driver’s license shows if someone is an organ donor. Until a person passes away, that little heart makes no difference to their life. There are superstitions that organ donors do not receive the same care as a non-organ donor. This is a false statement. All organ donors are given equal healthcare. Doctors take a Hippocratic oath so every patient will receive proper attention and care. The organ donor status is not relevant until a person passes.
Become a Donor
Anyone can be a donor. People of all ages benefit from the generosity of blood and organ donors. A single organ donor can go on to save eight lives total. For blood, every time a person denotes, they are saving three lives at a time. Look for upcoming blood drives near your school or workplace. Donors can also visit blood centers to see what they need most. Donors change lives so celebrate February 14 with love and donations. There are many blood drives in February and events where people can sign up to become an organ donor. Become a donor today!