News

News for Immediate Release

FH Waterman Joins National Effort

in Support of Organ and Tissue Donation

Tavares, FL: Florida Hospital Waterman is joining hospitals and organizations nationwide in the Flags Across America campaign to show support for organ and tissue donation and donor designation as part of National Donate Life Month this April, and will fly a Donate Life flag on campus throughout the month in honor of all organ, eye and tissue donors.

While 2011 marked the achievement of 100 million designated donors in state donor registries, the need for organ, eye, and tissue transplants is steadily increasing. Today, more than 110,000 children and adults await organ transplants while hundreds of thousands more are in need of tissue transplants. Every day, 19 lives are lost due to the shortage of organs available for transplantation.

National research concluded that a majority of Americans support donation but more than half have not documented those decisions. In east Central Florida, 45 percent of drivers receiving or renewing their driver license at an I.D.-issuing office documented their wishes as donors in 2011, but only 38 percent of drivers overall are registered.

To register on the organ and tissue donor registry, visit www.DonateLifeFlorida.org. Those who have already signed up at the driver’s license office are still encouraged to log on and create their own profile, especially if they want to specify details as part of their decision on donation.

To learn more, please contact TransLife, a department of Florida Hospital and east Central Florida’s federally-designated organ donor program, at 800.44DONOR or visit www.translife.org.

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