[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 65 (Tuesday, April 14, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E324-E325]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 RECOGNIZING NATIONAL DONATE LIFE MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHRISSY HOULAHAN

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 14, 2026

  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.

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