Q: What’s your message to Iowans during National Donate Life month?
A: Thanks to modern medicine and the selfless generosity of fellow Americans, organ donation and transplantation have saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of beloved family members, friends and neighbors in recent decades. The miracles of modern medicine have given grandparents, moms, dads, siblings and cousins precious more time to make memories and make a difference during their time together on God’s green earth.
Even during the unprecedented uncertainty of a pandemic, loved ones and total strangers selflessly stepped up with the most generous gift they could give a fellow human being: the gift of life and a second chance at a better quality of life. According to federal statistics, more than 39,000 life-saving and life-enhancing organ transplants were performed in the United States last year. This remarkable milestone in the midst of a pandemic reflects the extraordinary generosity of Americans and the resilience of our health care professionals. What’s more, organ donation from deceased donors in the U.S. reached a historic high for the 10th year in a row – last year 12,587 individuals donated one or more organs to help others.