For Immediate Release: April 22, 2004

For More Information Contact:

Lori L. Henshey, Communications Specialist

West Virginia Hospital Association

304/353-9747

Fax: 304/344-9745

Lhenshey@aol.com

Government-Wide Effort Observes April as National Donate Life Month

CHARLESTON, WV – HHS and partner organizations are leading a Donate Life Month campaign, which began at the National Constitution Center on April 1, 2004, and is being followed by mini-events at various federal agencies throughout the month.

Last year, HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson announced that April would be observed as National Donate Life Month to raise public awareness of the critical need for organ, tissue, bone marrow and blood donation. Secretary Thompson notes, “Each year the month of April brings springtime and nature’s renewal. Now, each April will remind all Americans of their own ability to renew and enhance life through the gift of donation.”

More than 84,000 Americans are currently awaiting organs. Last year, about 25,000 people received transplants, but almost 6,000 died waiting for an organ. Nearly 18 people on the organ waiting list die each day for lack of available organs.

Every two seconds, another American needs lifesaving blood. Regionally, the blood inventory is below the minimum safe level. Blood transfusions save approximately 10,000 people every day. While 60 percent of the population is eligible to donate, only five percent donates blood. Each year, more than 30,000 children and adults are diagnosed with leukemia or other life-threatening blood diseases potentially treatable with marrow or stem cell transplants. There is a critical need for more bone marrow donors from the African-American, Hispanic and Asian communities because characteristics of stem cells are unique to people of specific ancestry.

Approximately 20 million Americans have kidney disease and another 400,000 or more are already on dialysis or have kidney transplants due to kidney failure. Diabetes and uncontrolled high blood pressure is the second leading cause of chronic kidney failure in the United States. About 45,000 Americans have their sight restored every year with a corneal transplant.

HHS donor partnership organizations include the American Red Cross; the National Kidney Foundation and Lions Eye Bank, both of Delaware Valley; Gift of Life Donor Program; and the National Donor Marrow Program. For more information on the HHS- and donor-led effort to observe April as National Donate Life Month, please call Suzanne Bradley at 215/861-4731 and/or Anitra Brown-Reed at 215/597-4390, Ext. 4202.

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