Sharing the power and educating others about organ donation.As a winter of record-breaking snowfall and freezing temperatures came to an end, people all across New England were filled with anticipation of warmer weather. Piles of snow melted away, and spring’s arrival began to deliver nature’s gifts of new life to our landscape. This season of change and renewal is a perfect time to reflect on the greatest gift of life—organ donation.According to Donate Life America, there are approximately 124,000 men, women and children awaiting organ transplants in the U.S. Each year, April is designated as Donate Life Month with the purpose of increasing awareness of the need for organ, eye and tissue donation and educating the public on donation.

This year the Pediatric Transplant Center set aside April 6 to 10 as Organ Donation Awareness Week at Boston Children’s Hospital. Employees participated in special activities designed to bring greater awareness of the need for organ and tissue donation to the Boston Children’s community and the impact it can have on people’s lives. Through social media, families were asked to share their transplant stories on the Pediatric Transplant Center Facebook page, and several blog posts also highlighted the power of organ donation, including “6 ways to celebrate National Donate Life Month,”“From Abu Dhabi to Boston: Brothers’ bond runs deep through kidney donation” and “The magical power of organ donation.”

In addition to educating and promoting awareness, volunteers collected donations of used cell phones. In cooperation with the Children’s Organ Transplant Association, proceeds from the recycled cell phones go directly to support families of children waiting for a life-saving transplant. Nearly 50 used cell phones were collected and recycled through this program. If you have used cell phones that you would like to donate and will be visiting Boston Children’s, contact us at transplant@childrens.harvard.edu for more information.

Organ Donation Awareness week culminated with Nursing Grand Rounds on April 9. Organ transplant patients and theirparents were invited to share their experiences in a presentation to Boston Children’s staff. View the first of four inspiring videos. It was an incredible opportunity for staff to hear how organ donation has directly impacted the lives of patients and their families. The audience was moved to tears and laughter as each speaker described their challenging journey.

For more information about becoming involved in organ awareness activities, contact transplant@childrens.harvard.edu or become involved with organ donation education through the New England Organ Bank.