Donor Network West gathered with healthcare heroes and organ donation advocates Monday, April 1, to raise awareness about organ donation, kicking off National Donate Life Month.
Donor Network West, northern Nevada’s only federally-designated organ procurement organization, lit the iconic Reno Arch blue and green Monday, April 1, 2024, for National Donate Life Month. For the entire month of April, the Reno Arch will remain blue and green to honor donors, donor families and lives saved through organ and tissue donation.
National Donate Life Month aims to educate Americans about the life-saving importance of organ, eye and tissue donation, encouraging individuals to join the registry. The Arch lighting ceremony represents the impact organ donation can have locally—with over 700 Nevadans on the waiting list hoping to receive life-saving organs. Registering to donate has the power to give the gift of life to a friend, neighbor, coworker or stranger.
“Gathering here alongside our community partners, healthcare providers and network of ambassadors in honor of Donate Life Month is one of the many reasons why Donor Network West is proud to have served the northern Nevada community for 40 years,” said Janice Whaley, president and CEO of Donor Network West. “The Arch lighting serves as a reminder that we, as a community, have the power to uplift those waiting for life-saving organs. We can reduce the waitlist and give hope by saying ‘yes’ to organ donation.”
Washoe County Commissioner Clara Andriola read an official proclamation declaring April as Donate Life Month. Local organ recipients and Donor Network West ambassadors Chris Connolly, local liver transplant recipient; Tom Graham, local kidney and pancreas transplant recipient; and Eric Milette, retired City of Sparks fire captain and father of an organ donor, also shared their stories.
“While I was sick in the hospital saying goodbye to my son, doctors came into my room and said there’s a liver available for my transplant,” said Connolly. “Three days later when I woke up, I realized that someone who I had never met did something that ultimately saved me, allowing me to be here today––that is my donor. I carry the memory of my donor with me every single second of every single day.”
At a reception before the Arch lighting, Donor Network West honored northern Nevada organ donation advocates, recognizing the Carson Tahoe Intensive Care Unit as Outstanding Hospital Partner and the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine Student Organ Donation Advocates chapter as Outstanding Community Partner.
Donor Network West works closely with healthcare partners year-round to save and heal lives through organ, eye and tissue donation in northern California and northern Nevada. One organ donor can save the lives of up to eight people, and a tissue donor can heal as many as 75 lives. To learn more about organ and tissue donation, or to register as a donor, visit your local Department of Motor Vehicles or DonorNetworkWest.org.
About Donor Network West
Donor Network West saves and heals lives by facilitating organ and tissue recovery for transplantation and research. Established in 1987, Donor Network West is designated and certified by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, accredited by the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB), is a member of the Organ Donation Alliance and is an official Donate Life organization. Donor Network West is federally designated to serve 45 counties in northern California and northern Nevada, Donor Network West partners with the Department of Motor Vehicles and the state-authorized donor registries to help increase donor registration. For information, visit www.DonorNetworkWest.org and follow us on social media: @mydnwest.
