3 mins read

Donate Life!

I told you guys in my Leibster Award post that my favorite philanthropy/charity was Donate Life MS, and that I was gonna tell you more about it. Well, here it is!

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Donate Life MS, it is a part of the Mid-South Transplant Foundation, which oversees the donation and receiving of organ donations and transplants. I know what you’re thinking: “Organ donation? Ehh…” Well, actually this is an extremely important cause that people need to learn more about.


According to the Donate Life MS website:

  • More than 98,000 Americans are waiting for the organ they need to save their life.
  • Every hour and 20 minutes someone dies waiting for a life-saving organ transplant.
  • Every 12 minutes a new name is added to the national transplant waiting list.
  •  Each year, approximately 6,000 people die waiting for an organ transplant 

Now think about that for a second, there are almost 100,000 people out there waiting for an organ that determines whether they live to see another day or not. These people need our help!

Now, here are some more facts for you to consider:
  • Up to 8 lives can be saved through an organ donation.
  • A tissue donation can save 50 – 75 lives. 
  • The vision of 2 people can be restored through an eye donation.
See how much one person can do by simply donating their organs? Oh,that reminds me….more facts:
  • If you decide to become an organ donor, in no way will your care be put in jeopardy if you are ever admitted to a hospital.
  • Organs are not the only donations that are accepted. Tissues can also be donated. I will discuss this in more detail later.
  • There is no age limit for donations
  • An open-casket funeral is possible for donors.
  • Donating is free
The organs that can be donated are: the heart, kidneys, pancreas, lungs, liver, and intestines. The tissues that can be donated are: the eyes, skin, bone, heart valves, tendons, and veins. However, you do not have to donate all of these things if you don’t want to. When you register, you can specify which organs and tissues you would like to donate. In addition, you can participate in “directed donation,” which means that you can specify who can get your organs. You do not have to be dead to donate either; if you have a relative who is on the waiting list for an organ or tissue donation and you are a match(meaning compatibility with things like blood type and size), you will be able to donate.

Well there you have it! Just a simple overview of Donate Life! It’s really a wonderful foundation to be a part of and I greatly encourage you to help out with the cause, because it’s really needed. People are dying everyday waiting for help from people like us. 

If you’d like to learn more, check out the Mid-South Transplant Foundation website. If you’d like to help in volunteer efforts or sign up to become a donor, you can sign up with your state here.

22 thoughts on “Donate Life!

  1. Wow, I didn't realize how many people could be helped just through one persons organ donation! I knew there were wait lists for many people and it just saddens me. Thanks for sharing this info!

  2. I've always believed organ donation should be an opt-out, not an opt-in, because so many people don't register simply because it takes time to do. Great info!

  3. Yea, it's so sad. People keep their phones on them constantly, hoping that they will get a call telling them that they finally found a match for them.

  4. Glad to hear you are! Don't forget to always check "yes" on the slot for organ donation on your license when you get it removed so they can keep their record of your generous contribution. So many people lose their donor status simply because they forgot to check the box again.

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