[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 65 (Tuesday, April 5, 2022)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 19587-19588]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-07274]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 65 / Tuesday, April 5, 2022 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 19587]]


                Proclamation 10360 of March 31, 2022

                
National Donate Life Month, 2022

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Today, more than 100,000 men, women, and children in 
                the United States need a life-saving organ transplant. 
                In many cases, an organ donation provides another 
                chance to live a full life. For those waiting for that 
                gift of life--the uncertainty can be excruciating, 
                exacting a physical and emotional toll on the potential 
                recipient and their loved ones. During National Donate 
                Life Month, we give thanks to the families and friends 
                of donors who have supported their loved one's decision 
                to save lives by donating; we show our appreciation for 
                the professionals who serve the transplantation 
                community; and we encourage Americans who can to become 
                organ, eye, tissue, marrow, and blood donors. In so 
                doing, we honor those who have given this most 
                extraordinary of gifts.

                Last year, because of the charity and generosity of the 
                American people, our Nation's transplant experts 
                performed more than 41,000 organ transplants--a record 
                number. We saw organ donations from deceased donors set 
                an annual record for the 11th consecutive year. Living 
                donor transplants, which decreased significantly in 
                2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, increased with over 
                6,500 living donor transplants performed.

                Despite our progress, our Nation continues to face a 
                critical shortage of organ donors, and the number of 
                people in need of a transplant is high, with 17 people 
                dying every day while waiting for a transplant. Today's 
                transplant waitlist also includes more than 1,900 
                children under the age of 18 awaiting the gift of life. 
                That is why during National Donate Life Month, we also 
                recognize National Pediatric Transplant Week from April 
                24-30, a period dedicated to ending the pediatric 
                transplant waiting list.

                Waitlist data shows that people of color make up nearly 
                60 percent of individuals awaiting an organ transplant. 
                To increase access to transplantation for everyone, we 
                recommit to promoting greater diversity in organ 
                donation, as we continue to advance health equity for 
                all communities, including those that have gone 
                underserved, across our Nation.

                Every year, nearly 18,000 people in America are 
                diagnosed with life-threatening blood cancers or other 
                diseases for which a blood stem cell transplant may be 
                their best or only hope for a cure. Approximately 70 
                percent of these individuals need donors from outside 
                their families. Although nearly 23 million adults in 
                the United States are currently registered as blood 
                stem cell donors, we need more registrants to help the 
                many individuals who still have difficulty finding a 
                suitably matched donor.

                During National Donate Life Month, we thank the 
                millions of individuals across America who are living 
                or registered organ donors. We recognize and commend 
                the researchers, advocates, volunteers, and medical 
                professionals working to reduce the number of people 
                awaiting vital organ transplants. Our Nation applauds 
                the therapeutic innovations that have decreased rates 
                of organ rejection and have extended the lifespan of 
                transplanted organs.

                While transplantation continues to increase 
                substantially and meet the needs of many people with 
                organ failure, we must continue our efforts to shorten

[[Page 19588]]

                the waiting list and encourage organ donation. If you 
                have not signed up as an organ donor, we can use your 
                help. I encourage every American to help people in need 
                by visiting organdonor.gov for organ, eye, and tissue 
                donation, and bloodstemcell.hrsa.gov for marrow and 
                blood 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 2022 as National 
                Donate Life Month. I call upon every person who can to 
                share the gift of life and hope 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-two, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                sixth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2022-07274
Filed 4-4-22; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F2-P