BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — April is National Donate Life Month, which celebrates transplant recipients and raises awareness about organ, eye and tissue donations.

What You Need To Know

  • According to Donate Life Kentucky, more than 33,000 Americans received a life-saving organ transplant in 2023

  • There are still more than 100,000 people on the national transplant waiting list, with more than 1,000 Kentuckians waiting for organs

  • 90% of U.S. adults support organ donations; however, only 60% of them are registered to do so

  • Those who would like to donate can go to donatelifeky.org

According to Donate Life Kentucky, more than 33,000 Americans received a life-saving organ transplant in 2023, but there are still more than 100,000 people on the national transplant waiting list, with more than 1,000 Kentuckians waiting for organs.

“It’s really to bring awareness to that," said Leslie Rossetter, director of medical services at Med Center Health. "You have life-saving donations, which (are) organs that we think about. And then life-enhancing when we think about donating skin.”

Each day, for example, 17 people die waiting for an organ transplant. Every eight minutes, another person joins the transplant waiting list, according to Donate Life Kentucky.  

“You have the ability to change someone’s life," Rossetter said. 

Many adults agree, with 90% of U.S. adults supporting organ donations. However, only 60% of them have registered to do so. 

"We hear a lot of times, ‘I’m too old to donate; they don’t want anything from me,'" Rossetter said. "That’s not accurate. Depending on your health and many different factors, you can still be a donor.”

According to OrganDonor.Gov, every donor can save eight lives and enhance the lives of more than 75 people.

Those who would like to become a donor can go to donatelifeky.org. The nonprofit focuses on organ, eye and tissue donation. 

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