April 2020 - Home - LifeLink Foundation … · Organ donation, with the primary exception of living kidney donation, takes place after death, and provides the gift of life to tens

April is Donate Life Month! This packet will provide you with ideas to celebrate Donate Life Month in your hospital. We look forward to working together to educate hospital staff about organ, eye, and tissue donation and encouraging them to make a donation decision.

Today, more than 112,000 men, women and children still await the opportunity for renewed life through organ donation while hundreds of thousands more could benefit from the gift of tissue donation. By working with dedicated healthcare professionals like you, we can and will make a difference. Together, we can save more lives!

Photos clockwise from top:

Jose, Heart recipient

Jennifer, Tissue recipient

Adrian, Lung recipient

John, Kidney recipient & Donor Husband

Peyton, Liver recipient

®

We can make a difference!

National Donate Life MonthApril 2020

Donate Life Month MaterialsSamplewww.LifeLinkFoundation.org/hrsawpfl/

For National Donate Life Month 2020, Donate Life America was inspired by the springtime scene of a garden. A garden and the insects within in it serve as symbols of hope, courage and transformed life — themes repeatedly found within the donation and transplantation journey.

The Donate Life garden depicts an ecosystem of plants, insects and other components working together to form an interconnected living system. Similarly, we each have the potential to nurture and enrich our communities through organ, eye and tissue donation.

Within this artwork, the focus is the garden’s living creatures and their roles. Each of these insects provides further symbolism, which can be applied to donation and transplantation and utilized within your local events and outreach: • Butterflies signify resurrection,

endurance, change, hope and life. They have also been known to represent the passing of a loved one, or life struggles that people have endured to emerge as a better person. Butterflies are pollinators; their work to fertilize plants ensures that life continues on.

• Dragonflies symbolize adaptability, courage, strength and joy.

• Ladybugs are a symbol of luck and leading a vibrant life.

Available for download:• Television monitor messaging• Social media messaging and images• On hold messaging• Newsletter article + picture• National Blue and Green Day materials• Employee Email

Provided by Hospital Development Liaison:• Table Tents • Posters

Donate Life Month MaterialsNewsletter ArticleSample

A successful business owner of 30 years, Gary and his wife were preparing for retirement when he suddenly had trouble breathing while preforming routine daily tasks. A perfect picture of health for most of his life, Gary was shocked to be diagnosed with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy. Gary’s doctors informed him he would need a heart transplant within five years. Gary was implanted with an ICD – implantable cardioverter defibrillator- while his heart function was maintained on medicine until it was indeed time to be placed on the organ transplant list.

Gary spent 65 days in the hospital waiting and on Christmas morning, his wait came to an end. “I am so grateful for my second chance,” says Gary. “Without my donor I wouldn’t be here today and I’m going to make the most of my second chance.” Gary has participated in the World Transplant Games and Transplant Games of America where he won two medals in cycling and one medal in the 1500 meter race/walk. Gary says if he ever meets his donor family, he will give the medals to them as a small “thank you” for what they mean to him.

This April, during the federally sanctioned National Donate Life Month, LifeLink of Florida and (insert hospital name) honor the spirit of those individuals who make transplants possible—organ, tissue, and eye donors. We celebrate the lives of those who received their second chance - and finally, we call attention to the more than 112,000 - over 5,900 of whom are local men, women and children - still waiting for their gifts of life across the United States.

Organ donation, with the primary exception of living kidney donation, takes place after death, and provides the gift of life to tens of thousands each year through heart, kidney, lung, liver, pancreas or intestine transplants. Without the generosity of organ donors those waiting will die. Register your decision to donate by visiting www.DonateLifeFlorida.org, or when you get or renew your driver license or state identification card.

LifeLink of Florida is a non-profit community service organization dedicated to the recovery of organs and tissues for transplantation. Visitwww.LifeLinkFoundation.org or call 1-800-350-9130 with questions about organ and tissue donation.

What you can do:

• Include an article about organ & tissue donation in your employee or patient newsletter (see sample).

• Have DONATE LIFE DAY and allow LifeLink of Florida to set up a donor designation station. Invite employees to stop by and learn more about donation, and sign up on Florida’s organ and tissue donor registry.

• Send an email message to each employee about organ & tissue donation – along with the link to Florida’s organ & tissue donor registry (see sample).

• Place a Donate Life on-hold message in your communication system (see samples).

• Place Donate Life Month posters and table tents throughout your hospital (see samples).

• Participate in Donate Life Blue & Green Day on April 17th (details provided).

• Incorporate Donate Life messages in your social media campaigns (samples provided).

• Place Donate Life messages on television monitors throughout your hospital (sample provided).

• Remember to track each activity on the WPFL Hospital Campaign Scorecard at https://www.lifelinkfoundation.org/hrsawpfl/

Make a personal connection to donation.

Jody’s legacy continues through organ donation.

Donate Life Month On-Hold MessagesSampleMessage One:By saying yes to organ and tissue donation, you can save and enhance the lives of people in need of life-saving transplants. Your “yes” has the power to save lives. Visit www.DonateLifeFlorida.org today to register your decision as an organ and tissue donor. Message Two:Did you know that one organ and tissue donor can save or enhance more than 75 lives? Organ and tissue transplants offer patients a new chance at healthy, productive lives. April is Donate Life Month, and you have the power to change someone’s world by being a donor. Visit www.DonateLifeFlorida.org to learn more and to sign up on the state’s donor registry. Organ donation...make the decision and tell your loved ones.

Donate Life Month On-Hold Messages

Social Media PostsSampleConnect with us socially to spread the Donate Life Message.

@LifeLinkOfFlorida (Facebook

Only)

@LifeLinkFL

LifeLink of Florida has created a variety of Facebook and Twitter posts for your hospital to utilize during April. A few are included in this packet, but more detailed posts can be found at www.LifeLinkFoundation.org/

hrsawpfl

Facebook and Twitter both allow hashtags, although they are more widely used on Twitter. The official hashtag (#) for Donate Life Month is #DonateLifeMonth. Organizations (OPOS, transplant centers, hospitals, etc.) across the country will use #DonateLifeMonth or #DonateLife to provide a unified message throughout the month of April.

Sample Facebook Posts for Donate Life Month

April is Donate Life Month! The month long celebration commemorates those who have received or continue to wait for lifesaving transplants as well as the donors who save and heal lives. #DonateLife

Donate Life Month Fact: Who can be a donor? People of all ages and medical histories should consider themselves potential donors. Your medical condition at the time of death will determine what organs and tissue can be donated. #DonateLife

Donate Life Month Fact: Every major religion in the United States supports organ, eye and tissue donation as one of the highest expressions of compassion and generosity. #DonateLife

Donate Life Month Fact: There is no cost to the donor’s family or estate for donation. The donor family pays only for medical expenses before death and costs associated with funeral arrangements. #DonateLife

Donate Life Month Fact: Organ, eye and tissue transplants offer patients a new chance at healthy, productive, and normal lives with their families, friends and communities. Register now at www.DonateLifeFlorida.org. #DonateLife

Sample Twitter Posts for Donate Life Month (all tweets are 280 characters or less)

April is #DonateLifeMonth! Celebrating those who received the #GiftofLife and honor those who have saved others! #DonateLife

#DonateLife Month Fact: People of all ages and medical histories should consider themselves potential donors.

#DonateLife Month Fact: There is no cost to the donor’s family or estate for donation. Learn more from @LifeLinkFL #DonateLife

Want to know more about the donation process? Contact @LifeLinkFLor call 1-800-350-9130! #DonateLife

#DonateLife Month Fact: Sadly, an average of 22 patients die every day while waiting for a transplant. Learn more from @LifeLinkFL

Celebrate National Donate Life Blue & Green Day and give hope to the more than 122,000

people on the organ transplant waiting list; honor organ, eye and tissue donors; remember those

that died waiting for their second chance at life; and celebrate the patients who received the gift of

life through transplantation.

Please consider sharing the Donate Life Message

Donate Life Month Employee EmailSampleDear Employees,

More than 112,000 individuals in the United States await the gift of life through organ donation - over 5,900 of those are our friends and neighbors in Florida. Hundreds of thousands more benefit from tissue, cornea and blood donation annually. I am pleased to announce (insert hospital name) is celebrating National Donate Life Month throughout April, joining hundreds of organizations in Florida and across the United States in spreading this life-saving message.

Floridians can join the state’s organ and tissue donor registry through the website www.DonateLifeFlorida.org, when obtaining/renewing a driver license or identification card at a local driver license office or by calling Donate Life Florida directly at 941-308-1019 and requesting a registry card. In conjunction with donor registration, please share your donation decision with your family and encourage them to do the same.

One person can potentially save or enhance more than 75 lives through organ and tissue donation. There are no financial costs for the donor’s family and donation is supported by all major religions.

Again, we are proud to support National Donate Life Month and encourage you to learn about organ, tissue and eye donation.

Sincerely,Your Senior Leadership Team

For any questions in this packet contact:

Kristen MirandaLifeLink of Florida

Public Affairs Coordinator, Public [email protected] 800-350-9130

Get the Facts:

• One organ & tissue donor can save or improve the lives of more than 75 people.

• All major religions support donation as a personal decision, and a generous gift to humanity.

• Donation places no financial burden on the family of the donor, donation-related costs are covered by LifeLink.

• Doctors who treat patients at the time of death are not involved in the donation process. Every effort is made to save a life before donation can be considered.

• It is a federal crime to buy or sell organs in the U.S.

• More than half of all candidates listed for transplantation are minorities.

• More than 1 million tissue transplants occur each year, and the need continues to rise.

https://www.lifelinkfoundation.org/hrsawpfl/