[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 64 (Tuesday, April 6, 2021)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 17681-17682]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-07168]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 64 / Tuesday, April 6, 2021 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 17681]]


                Proclamation 10168 of March 31, 2021

                
National Donate Life Month, 2021

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                April is National Donate Life Month, a time for all 
                Americans to celebrate the generosity of those who have 
                saved lives by becoming organ, eye, tissue, marrow, and 
                blood donors--and to encourage more Americans to follow 
                their example. We also honor the families and friends 
                of donors who have supported their loved one's decision 
                to donate, as well as the caring and committed 
                professionals who serve the transplantation community. 
                This month-long observance also encompasses National 
                Pediatric Transplant Week from April 18-24, a week 
                dedicated to ending the pediatric transplant waiting 
                list.

                Despite the extraordinary challenges of the COVID-19 
                pandemic, 2020 saw organ transplants from deceased 
                donors set an annual record for the 10th consecutive 
                year--a testament to Americans' generosity and 
                selflessness even in times of unbearable loss. Thanks 
                to the resilience of our organ donation and 
                transplantation professionals and the caring nature of 
                the American people, more than 39,000 life-saving or 
                life-enhancing organ transplants were performed in the 
                United States last year from both living and deceased 
                donors.

                While thousands of Americans receive the gift of life 
                each year through organ transplantation, the number of 
                people in need of life-saving organs remains 
                staggeringly high. There are more than 107,000 people 
                currently on the national transplant waiting list, and 
                another person is added every nine minutes. Sadly, the 
                waiting list currently contains more than 1,900 
                children under the age of 18 who are awaiting a life-
                saving organ transplant. While very small children most 
                often must receive donations from other young children 
                due to size constraints, older children and adults can 
                often match. In many cases, that means generous 
                American adults can contribute to our goal of ending 
                the pediatric transplant waiting list.

                Current statistics show that Americans belonging to 
                minority groups make up nearly 60 percent of those 
                waiting for an organ transplant. Although a transplant 
                can be successful regardless of the race or ethnicity 
                of the donor and recipient, there is a greater chance 
                of longer-term survival for the recipient if the 
                genetic background of the donor and recipient are 
                closely matched. Americans from every community are 
                needed to help make a life-saving difference.

                Nearly 18,000 people are diagnosed each year with 
                illnesses for which blood stem cell transplantation--
                requiring marrow or cord blood--is the best treatment 
                option. Over 65 percent of these individuals require 
                donors from outside their own family. Although some 30 
                million adults are currently registered as blood stem 
                cell donors, many individuals still have difficulty 
                finding a suitably matched donor, meaning that we need 
                many more registrants to fill this life-saving need.

                Every day, 17 people in America die while waiting for a 
                transplant. Yet, all of us have the power to help: one 
                donor can save up to eight lives through organ 
                donation, and can improve another 75 lives through eye 
                and tissue donation. If you have not signed up as an 
                organ donor, we need your help to fill the gap between 
                the availability of organs and people

[[Page 17682]]

                who need them. I encourage all Americans to give hope 
                to those awaiting a match by visiting organdonor.gov 
                for organ, eye, and tissue donation, and 
                bloodstemcell.hrsa.gov for marrow donation.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of 
                the United States of America, by the authority vested 
                in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United 
                States, do hereby proclaim April 2021 as National 
                Donate Life Month. I call upon every person to share 
                the gift of life and hope with those in need of a life-
                saving or life-enhancing transplant by becoming organ, 
                eye, tissue, marrow, and blood donors.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                thirty-first day of March, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                fifth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2021-07168
Filed 4-5-21; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3295-F1-P