Pictured: Grandview Medical Center Staff
Pictured: Parkridge Medical Center Staff
Pictured: Parkridge East Hospital Staff
Three Parkridge Health System facilities have joined forces with Tennessee Donor Services in April to observe Donate Life Month and help spread the word about the importance of organ donation registration.
Parkridge Medical Center, Parkridge East Hospital and Grandview Medical Center are all flying the Donate Life Month flag to commemorate the generosity of organ and tissue donors, and honor the recipients of these generous donations.
In 2013, 421 Tennesseans gave the gift of life, saving 796 lives.
Tragically, the need far exceeds the number of those who give. While most Americans are in favor of donation, many believe they are too old or unhealthy to donate, and others simply don’t take the steps required to sign up. Almost everyone can be a donor. There is no age limit to organ donation and very few diseases preclude donation. Currently in the United States there are more than 120,000 people waiting for a life-saving organ transplant, over 2,600 of those live in Tennessee. Every 18 minutes a patient on the waiting list will die, and every 10 minutes a new name will be added.
As of March 2014, over 1,890,000 Tennesseans and 4,562,800 Georgians have signed up on their state registries either online or through the Department of Safety. Tennesseans and Georgians can register to be an organ donor by simply Checking YES when applying for or renewing their driver’s license. A small red heart or dot is placed on the driver’s license. Residents can also sign up online by visiting www.donatelifetn.org or www.donatelifegeorgia.org.