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5 Ways to Save Lives in the New Year
As we remember the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we are encouraged to look deep within ourselves and ask: what are we doing to make a difference in our communities.
Here are 5 ways you can make a big difference in your community without leaving home. Some take less than 2 minutes. Do one or do them all. Every act of generosity helps.
#1 Register as an organ, eye and tissue donor.
Have you checked the box? Over 90% who choose to sign up as a donor do so on their driver’s license. With many local DMVs closed or limited capacity, another way people can register as an organ donor is online. This simple, yet important step takes less than 2 minutes and can save lives.
Already checked the box? Talk about it. Telling your family and friends that you are registered as an organ and tissue donor makes all the difference. Send a text, share this post or make a call today. Even though it is difficult to imagine a life without you in it, they will be relieved to know.
#2 Make a difference for someone now. Explore living donation.
More than 3,200 people in our region are waiting on a life-saving transplant. Living and deceased donation programs are working to end that waiting list. Living donation takes place when a living person donates an organ (or part of an organ) for transplantation to another person. The organ most commonly given by a living donor is the kidney. Parts of other organs including the lung, liver and pancreas are now being transplanted from living donors.
Learn more about living donation.
#3 Schedule at least one appointment to donate blood this year.
Schedule an appointment to give blood. Blood banks need your help! Schedule an appointment today with American Red Cross or Memorial Blood Centers.
#4 Join the Be the Match registry.
Every 3 minutes someone is diagnosed with a blood cancer. You could be the cure. Joining the Be The Match Registry® means volunteering to be listed as a potential blood stem cell donor, ready to save the life of any patient in need of a transplant. Sign up at Join.bethematch.org.
#5 Wear a Mask. Wash your hands. Social distance.
COVID-19 continues to affect all ages, geography and income levels. It’s placing a new burden on healthcare workers and is hindering our ability to provide care to anyone in need. This needs to be our finest hour in which we collectively make short-term sacrifices for the benefit of all.
Let’s make a commitment to make a difference in the lives around us in 2021. How will you make a difference this year?