Group urges organ donations during April

April is National Donate Life Month, an awareness event designed to encourage Americans to register as organ, eye and tissue donors. It is also a time set aside to honor those who have saved lives through the gift of organ donation.

One organ donor can extend the lives of up to eight people, restore sight to two people through cornea donation and heal up to 75 others through tissue donation. On average, 22 people die each day waiting on a lifesaving organ transplant.

The Nazih Zuhdi Transplant Institute at INTEGRIS Health Baptist Medical Center and LifeShare Oklahoma invite the media to attend a special flag raising ceremony to acknowledge the importance and growing need for transplantation.

The event will be at 2 p.m., April 14 at the flag pole at the main entrance of Integris Health Baptist Medical Center at 3300 N.W. Expressway.

You are encouraged to wear blue or green to the event to show support of Donate Life Month. Flags will be on display as another powerful visual. Each one will represent someone currently on the transplant waiting list at INTEGRIS Health or a donor who gave the ultimate gift of life.

Oklahomans have three options to register as an organ, eye and tissue donor. Residents can sign-up when renewing their driver’s license, visit LifeShareRegistry.org to sign up online, or call 800-826-LIFE (5433) and request a donor registration form.