UM Shore Regional Health Recognizes National Donate Life Month
Members of the UM Shore Regional Health Same Day Surgery and Endoscopy at Easton team dressed in blue and green to honor organ donors on Blue and Green Day, which was Friday, April 22. From left are Alexis Coverdale, RN; Maddi Nagel, RN; Stacy Dion, RN; Cindy Coulbourne, unit secretary; Renee Thomas, RN; Amy Schwaninger, RN; and Amanda Coate, RN.
University of Maryland Shore Regional Health celebrated April as National Donate Life Month, honoring organ donors and bringing awareness to saving or enhancing lives through organ, eye and tissue donation. On April 22, UM SRH team members wore blue and green in honor of National Donate Life Blue and Green Day, which encourages the sharing of the Donate Life message and promotes the importance of registering as an organ, eye and tissue donor.
"Thanks to the generosity of donors and their families, and the dedication of health care and transplant professionals, many lives were saved through donation and transplantation throughout the COVID-19 pandemic," said Chris Wright, Hospital Services Coordinator for The Living Legacy Foundation of Maryland and UM Shore Regional Health. "Those families who have experienced organ donation from the giving side are comforted in knowing that, even in death, their loved one is helping others."
Created by Donate Life America in 2003, Donate Life Month is observed annually to honor organ donors and their families' choice to save lives. In 2021, more than 41,000 lives were saved in the United States through organ donation, and of these, more than 34,000 were saved thanks to deceased donors.
The Donor Council of UM Shore Regional Health and The Living Legacy Foundation of Maryland regularly educate the community about organ donation through information sessions about the donation process as well as awareness tables on our hospital campuses.
About 95 percent of adults in the U.S. support organ donation, but only slightly more than 50 percent are registered donors. Educating hospital staff about the process supports organ donation registration by enabling them to educate the public and encourage discussion among family members about options for their end-of-life wishes. Maryland registered more than 220,000 new organ donors in 2021.
To register as an organ donor, visit the Maryland Vehicle Administration while obtaining or renewing a driver's license or state ID, or visit The Living Legacy Foundation of Maryland online at www.thellf.org.