What do you do when your biggest month of the year falls in the midst of a national emergency?
This was the conversation taking place at organ and tissue recovery organizations, tissue banks, eye banks and other Donate Life affiliates across the country throughout the month of March – and, in many cases, even earlier. April is National Donate Life Month, when we focus on the need to sign additional donors to the organ donor registry, highlight the stories of transplant recipients and celebrate the generosity of donors and their families. Yet many states, ours included, are following mandated “Stay home. Stay safe.” policies that mandate social distancing and discourage anything but essential travel to attempt to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
At HonorBridge, our values are determined, positive, and compassionate. Our values continue to drive our work to save lives through organ, eye and tissue donation. The need for life-saving transplants in North Carolina remains. Right now, over 3,000 North Carolinians are on the waitlist for an organ.
We are moving National Donate Life Month virtual and honoring life with 30 days of kindness. We have created a calendar of ideas to inspire our supporters to share our message. We will have regular posts on our social media channels to provide information and encouragement. And we will also share positive stories. We do this out of respect and appreciation for the many people who want to talk about their experiences and inspire others to join the Register as a Donor.
