FOR CITY TIMES

CENTRAL WISCONSIN — To honor organ, tissue, and eye donors and their loved ones, Aspirus Stevens Point Hospital, Aspirus Plover Hospital and Aspirus Riverview Hospital in Wisconsin Rapids raised their Donate Life flags on April 10, during National Donate Life Month.

Currently, there are more than 100,000 men, women, and children awaiting organ transplants in the United States, according to Donate Life America. Unfortunately, not all these people will receive a second chance at life.

More than 42,000 organ transplants from 21,300 donors brought new lift to patients and their families in 2022. More than 85,600 corneal transplants help to restore sight each year. More than 2.5 million tissue transplants heal lives each year. More than 170 million people are registered organ, eye and tissue donors.

Aspirus encourages everyone to give hope and help save lives by registering your decision to be an organ, eye and tissue donor at organdonor.gov or donatelifeWisconsin.org, in the Medical ID tab of your iPhone Health app, or at the Wisconsin DMV. To those who have already registered their donation decision, thank you. You can help continue to save lives by sharing the Donate Life message to educate others about the need and how their generosity can help save and heal lives.