Recognizing National Donate Life Month

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. HOULAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize April as National Donate Life Month and to recognize the historic life-saving contributions of Gift of Life Donor Program. Donate Life Month is a time to honor organ and tissue donors, donor families, transplant recipients, caregivers, medical and donation professionals, and the thousands of Americans waiting for a second chance at life through transplantation.

For more than 50 years, Gift of Life Donor Program has led the Nation in saving lives through organ donation, driven by an unwavering determination to end the transplant waitlist. Founded in 1974 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Gift of Life is the nonprofit, federally designated organ procurement organization (OPO) serving 11.3 million people in the eastern half of Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware.

As one of the most active OPOs, Gift of Life coordinated the most life-saving organs transplanted in U.S. history in 2025. The program also has coordinated the most kidney transplants in the U.S. for ten years in a row--bringing its cumulative total to 22,756, the highest number of kidney transplants facilitated by any OPO in U.S. history and helping to address a critical public health issue. Overall, Gift of Life has coordinated the most donor heroes (15,586) and organs for transplant (43,108) since the start of our national donation system in 1988.

Yet the work is far from finished. Today, more than 100,000 Americans--including approximately 4,500 people in Gift of Life's region--need a transplant to survive. Working around the clock in partnership with 123 hospitals and hundreds of transplant centers nationwide, Gift of Life's staff meets this urgent public health crisis every day. A global leader since the early days of transplant, Gift of Life continues to advance the field, championing organ recovery and preservation technologies that have greatly increased the possibility of donation for families who want to create a legacy of hope for their loved one.

In addition, Gift of Life provides the most comprehensive array of services available to the U.S. donation and transplantation community. Its affiliates--Gift of Life Institute and Gift of Life Howie's House-- extend this impact globally and locally. For more than 20 years, the Institute has served as an international training center for organ and tissue donation professionals. Gift of Life Howie's House, celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, is a 32-room lifeline for transplant families, providing temporary affordable lodging, meals and professional supportive services for thousands of patients and caregivers during their transplant journey.

Each of us can support the Gift of Life mission. A single organ donor can save up to eight lives; a tissue donor can heal as many as 100 others with gifts that restore health, mobility and sight to patients in need. Every person has the potential to save and heal lives through donation regardless of age, health or medical history. Registering takes less than one minute. This simple act is a profound expression of generosity and shared responsibility.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in celebrating National Donate Life Month, honoring the extraordinary generosity of donors and donor families, giving hope to our fellow citizens waiting, and encouraging all Americans to register as donors. Together, we can help Gift of Life achieve its vision of ending the transplant waitlist.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source