LOUISVILLE, Ky. – In observation of National Donate Life Month, UofL Health facilities including UofL Hospital and Jewish Hospital, will raise a flag to honor those who have given the gift of life and encourage Kentuckians to register as organ, eye and tissue donors. The ceremony will be followed by a moment of silence for one minute, eight seconds, a symbolic representation of how one donor can save up to eight lives.
In 2024, more than 104,000 Americans, 1,000 Kentuckians and 1,200 Hoosiers are waiting for a life-saving organ donation. A single organ donor can save up to eight lives, while a tissue donor can heal more than 50 lives. Additionally, more than 1,000 Kentuckians have their eyesight restored through cornea transplants every year.
UofL Health has a long history of supporting organ, tissue and eye donation. In 2018, UofL Hospital unveiled a memorial honoring organ donors to remind everyone of the gifts and sacrifice given by the donors that have come through the hospital over decades.
Additionally, the UofL Health – Trager Transplant Center, located in downtown Louisville, is nationally recognized for performing Kentucky’s first adult heart, pancreas, heart-lung and liver transplants. The multidisciplinary team was also responsible for the first minimally invasive kidney donation in Kentucky.
To register to become an organ donor, visit the National Donate Life Registry.
