Beech Tree News Network

April 2, 2018 -- Every April, the Kentucky Circuit Court Clerks’ Trust for Life (TFL) and Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates (KODA) celebrate National Donate Life Month.  This a time to focus national and local attention on every individual’s power to make LIFE possible by registering his or her decision to be a potential organ and tissue donor, and learning more about living donation.

The Trust for Life and KODA partner with Donate Life America each year during National Donate Life Month (NDLM). To help illustrate the message of donation, Donate Life America creates unique artwork for each National Donate Life Month. The 2018 National Donate Life Month art was inspired by the image of a rainbow, and Maya Angelou’s quote, “Be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud.” *

Donate Life America chose this year’s artwork because often following a storm, the presence of a rainbow provides optimism and motivates us to endure through dark times. Organ and tissue donation is the bridge of comfort and hope between one family’s mourning and another’s healing — turning tragedy into renewed life. The Donate Life rainbow in the National Donate Life Month artwork rises from stormy clouds, recognizing that it takes both rain and light to create the gift of a rainbow.

Maya Angelou’s message applies to people of all backgrounds and experiences, according to Melissa Cardwell, Butler County Circuit Clerk and President of the Trust for Life Board of Directors.  She said she so appreciates the work done by the Kentucky Circuit Court Clerks and their employees in asking customers about joining the Kentucky Donor Registry and about donating $1 toward this life-saving mission.

“We all know rainbows in the people that have helped carry us through life and its challenges. In turn, we have the opportunity to be rainbows in other people’s clouds through the gift of organ and tissue donation,” Cardwell said. “By registering to be a donor and considering living donation, you can change one ray of light into a spectrum of healing and compassion.” 

Cardwell said that one of the ways communities will celebrate locally is with 51 billboards across Kentucky and adjoining counties.  “We are thrilled to be able to feature donor families and recipients on our billboards during National Donate Life Month 2018!” she said. “From Kendall in Carroll County, who had a heart transplant as a baby and is now in college, to Wilson in Nicholas County who is a liver recipient about to graduate high school, the faces on the billboards embody hope and a second chance at life.” 

One can register the decision to be a potential organ and tissue donor by going online at donatelifeky.org or organdonor.gov (and choosing one’s state). Also, registration is possible at RegisterMe.org (or in the Medical ID tab of the iPhone Health app). To learn more about being a living donor, visit DonateLife.net.

Currently, 56 percent of U.S. adults have registered their decision to make LIFE possible and be organ and tissue donors if that is possible when they die.  Yet the number of people in need of transplants continues to outpace the number of organs donated. Currently, 116,000** people are waiting for a transplant and a second chance at life. On average, 22 people die each day because the organ they need is not donated in time—that is almost one person dying every hour. You can help by registering your decision to be an organ, eye and tissue donor, and learning more about living donation.

*Maya Angelou™ is a trademark licensed by Caged Bird Legacy, LLC

**Data from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) as of December 11, 2017

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About Kentucky Circuit Court Clerks’ Trust For Life

The Kentucky Circuit Court Clerks’ Trust For Life (TFL) is a 501c(3) non-profit organization that informs, educates, and encourages Kentuckians to be registered organ & tissue donors to save lives.  TFL was founded in 1992 as the charitable arm of the Kentucky Association of Circuit Court Clerks.  The dollar donations at Circuit Court Clerks’ Driver’s License counters and other philanthropic partners, including KODA and Kosair Charities, fund the statewide community outreach & public relations efforts to grow the Registry.  Kentucky was recognized by Donate Life America for highest increase in Registry rates in 2016.  For more info call 1-866-945-5433, email [email protected] or visit www.trustforlife.org.