April is Donate Life Month and Montefiore Medical Center is stepping up its efforts to raise awareness for organ and tissue donation. 

“There is a dire need for more New Yorkers to sign up as organ donors to save the lives of others,” said Milan Kinkhabwala, M.D., chief of the Division of Transplantation and director of Abdominal Transplantation at Montefiore Medical Center. “On average, 17 patients die every day in New York State while waiting for an organ transplant. Despite New Yorkers’ support for donation, we are still well below the national average for registered donors.”    

More than 90,000 people are on the nation's organ transplant waiting list and about ten percent of them are in New York State. While 7,000 people in our area are waiting for life-saving organs, last year, this area had only 261 donors. On average, 106 people are added to the nation’s organ transplant waiting list each day -- one person in desperate need of a transplanted organ every 14 minutes. While surveys show that 83 percent of New Yorkers support organ donation, only 24 percent of residents are registered organ donors. 

Montefiore is hosting numerous events throughout the Bronx this month to focus on the importance of organ and tissue donation, the heroism of donors and the positive impact on the lives of recipients.  Attendees will receive free giveaways, refreshments, and information on organ donation, as well as the opportunity to register as an organ donor.

 Locations of highlighted events include:
April 15: The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, 3400 Bainbridge Ave.
April 16: Montefiore Medical Group Family Health Center, 360 E. 193 St.
April 28: Justice Sonia Sotomayor Community Center, 1000 Rosedale Ave.
All events are held from 11 am – 2 pm

For additional information, contact Leo Trevino at 718-920-4285, ltrevino@montefiore.org