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April
15, 2003
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HACKENSACK UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER RECOGNIZES APRIL AS NATIONAL DONATE LIFE MONTH Hackensack University Medical Center will reinforce its commitment to raise public awareness of the critical need for organ, tissue, marrow and blood donation by recognizing April as National Donate Life Month. In past years, the third week of April was designated as “National Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Week.” “Each year the month of April brings springtime and nature’s renewal,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson. “Now, each April will remind all Americans of their own ability to renew and enhance life through the gift of donation.” Thousands of people have already recognized the importance of giving the gift of life to others. In 2002, 22,741 organ transplants and more than 46,000 corneal transplants were performed in the United States, and an average of 173 transplants were facilitated each month by the National Bone Marrow Donor Registry. “The need for organ and tissue donation remains enormous,” said Michael Shapiro, M.D. chief, Organ Transplantation Surgery Section in the Department of Surgery at HUMC. “While donations from living donors continue to rise I still encourage people to designate themselves as organ donors upon their deaths. Not only is it important to sign a an organ donor card you should also make your wishes known to family members.” Close to 81,000 individuals are on the waiting list for organ transplants, and thousands need tissue and corneal transplants each year. About 30,000 people a year are designated with blood diseases that may be cured by a marrow/blood stem cell transplant. Each day approximately 32,000 units of blood are needed, yet only about 5 percent of eligible blood donors give regularly. “One of the easiest ways a person can make a difference is to donate blood,” said Kathleen A. Reilly, MT (ASCP) SM, administrative director, Department of Pathology at HUMC. “The medical center relies on blood donations to treat its patients. Also donated blood has a short shelf life, thus resulting in the constant need to replenish the supply. ” For more information about blood donation or to make an appointment, please call (201) 996-4818 or (201) 996-4819. For more information about organ transplantation at the medical center please call (201) 996 2613 or (201) 996 2757 More information about National Donate Life Month can be found at www.organdonor.gov. Hackensack University Medical Center, a teaching and research hospital affiliated with the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey - New Jersey Medical School and a member of the New Jersey Council of Teaching Hospitals, is the largest provider of inpatient and outpatient services in the state of New Jersey. |
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