Agencies honor Organ Donors by flying Donate Life flags

Omaha, Neb- Flags Across America, a Donate Life America initiative being sponsored by the Nebraska Organ and Tissue Donor Coalition and Nebraska Organ Recovery System celebrates the hundreds of thousands of donors and recipients whose lives have been impacted by organ, eye and tissue donation. It rallies every donor hospital and transplant center, as well as all recovery agencies to collectively fly the Donate Life flag during April 2009- National Donate Life Month.

Across the nation, thousands of Donate Life flags will be flown and displayed throughout the month of April. Of the 96 total hospitals in Nebraska, 69 have committed to flying or displaying the Donate Life Flag during the month of April.

“We are excited about the opportunity to join together with hospitals, transplant centers and government agencies within our state to raise awareness for the ever increasing need of organ and tissue donors” says Stephanie Lochmiller, spokesperson for Nebraska Organ Recovery System. “We hope this serves as a call to action for people to join their state registries.”

Right now in the United States, there are more than 100,000 people waiting for a life-saving organ transplant, 500 of those are right here in Nebraska. Every 18 minutes a patient on the transplant waiting list will die, and every 11 minutes a new name will be added.

To learn more about organ, eye, and tissue donation, or to join the Nebraska Organ & Tissue Donor Registry, please visit www.nedonation.org.