The Valentines Gift that Gives the Most

By David A. Johnson MD, Medical Director, Signature Care

Friday, Feb 2nd, 2007; Posted: 9:30 a.m.

February 14th is Valentines Day, a time for romance, love, and showing others that you care! It is very appropriate that this day is designated as National Donor Day. Using Valentines Day as National Donor Day started in 1998 to impress upon people the importance of being a donor and the wonderful gift that it gives.

There are actually five different ways to donate. Referred to as the "Five Points of Life", they are: donating whole blood, platelets, bone marrow, cord blood, organ/tissue.

The enormous need for these donations in our country is widely unknown. Few people are aware that:

• Over 94,000 patients are currently on the transplant waiting list.
• On average, 18 people die every day waiting for a suitable organ.
• Each day, about 10,000 lives are saved with a blood transfusion.
• 60% of Americans are eligible to donate blood, only 5% do.
• Approximately 35,000 people each year are diagnosed with leukemia or other blood disorder for which bone marrow could treat or cure. Only 1/3 of those patients will find a suitable donor within their own family.

Although April is National Donate Life Month, Valentines Day is designated as National Donor Day for two reasons. First, our nation's blood supply is almost always in shorter supply during this time of year and blood donations are greatly needed. Second, Valentines Day symbolizes the loving and giving nature of organ donation. You don't have to wait until Valentine's Day to donate these life-saving gifts. Here are some ways to get involved:

• Become a regular blood donor. Contact the American Red Cross for sites.
• Become a member of the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) Registry. It only takes a simple blood test to get registered.
• Make the commitment to become an organ/tissue donor. This can be noted on your driver's license or you can go to www.DonateLife.net or www.DonateLifeIndiana.org for other options.
• When you make the decision to be an organ/tissue donor, it is vital to let your family and friends know of this decision so that if the situation arises, your wishes can be carried out.

We all wish that we had the chance and ability to change lives for the better. National Donor Day is a reminder that we can in fact do that with the gift of donation. Choose to make a life-saving difference in someone else's life by being a donor. What gift could be any more precious than the gift of life? Here's to your health!

You can download an organ donor card at OrganDonor.gov.

Visit HealthFinder.gov for complete list of national observances.