Central Maine Medical Center, Bridgton Hospital and Rumford Hospital are pleased to announce we have partnered with New England Donor Services to celebrate National Donate Life Month, a celebration commemorating those who have given the gift of life through organ and tissue donation. For those
whose lives have been saved or healed by a transplant, National Donate Life Month provides a chance to share their story to encourage more people to register as donors.
In 2021, the U.S. surpassed 40,000 transplants for the first time ever. This is a special and life-saving milestone and was made possible thanks to the generosity of donors and a strong partnership between donor hospitals, organ procurement organizations and transplant centers.
In addition to organ donation, tissue donations help more than one million individuals each year. Heart valve, bone and skin donations give recipients a new chance at a healthy life, the recovery of tendons and ligaments can help heal a severe sports injury and cornea donations give the gift of sight.
Currently, more than half of New England residents are registered organ and tissue donors, yet the number of patients in need of transplants continues to outpace the number of organs donated. More than 100,000 people are waiting for a transplant and a second chance at life. On average, 17 people die each day because the organ they need is not donated in time. Someone is added to the waiting list every nine minutes. Registering your decision to become a donor is the most effective way to save lives through donation and is a sign of support to those who continue to wait.
As a first step in our hospital’s commitment to this important campaign, I urge you to join me in registering your own generous decision to be an organ and tissue donor. To learn more about donation and to sign up as a designated donor, visit www.registerme.org. By taking a few minutes to register, you ensure that your desire to give this gift is officially recorded. You may someday be able to give the priceless gifts of life, sight and mobility to another.
