April 10, 2014

Organ donation flag-raising event set for April 17

Vanderbilt University Medical Center will hold its fifth annual Donate Life Flag-Raising Ceremony as part of national Donate Life month. The event celebrates organ donor families, living donors and hospital staff who care for donors and transplant recipients.

Vanderbilt University Medical Center will hold its fifth annual Donate Life Flag-Raising Ceremony as part of national Donate Life month.

The event celebrates organ donor families, living donors and hospital staff who care for donors and transplant recipients.

The annual Donate Life Flag-Raising Ceremony is set for Thursday, April 17. (photo by Susan Urmy)

The ceremony will be held Thursday, April 17, at 4 p.m. on the Medical Center Plaza next to Au Bon Pain.

Vanderbilt Transplant Center highlights include:

• Vanderbilt is third in the nation for annual organ donations.

• Vanderbilt has a 91 percent consent rate for organ donation. The national goal is 75 percent.

• In 2013, 261 life-saving gifts were made possible because of the generosity of 73 individuals.

Nearly 1,900 Tennesseans are waiting for organ transplants. Almost 100,000 people in the United States are hoping for a second chance at life. Tragically, one-third will die waiting.
Visit donatelifetn.org for more information on how to become a donor.