April is National Donate Life Month
The 2026 National Donate Life Month artwork uses trees as a symbol of life, connection, and lasting impact. Just as trees grow stronger together in a forest, donation connects people, donors, recipients, families, health care professionals, and communities in a shared network of care. Donation is not a single moment. Like a tree taking root, it creates an impact that continues to grow over time.
For more information about organ donation, visit core.org.
Donation and Transplantation FAQs 2026
April is National Donate Life Month - a time to honor those who have received transplants, recognize those still waiting, and celebrate the generosity of donors and donor families.
Who Can Be a Donor?
Deceased Donors: People of all ages and medical histories can potentially donate. The ability to donate organs and tissues is determined by medical evaluation at the time of death. Living Donors: Living donors must be in good physical and mental health and older than 18. Medical conditions such as uncontrolled high blood pressure or diabetes may prevent living donation. Transplant programs perform comprehensive evaluations to ensure the health and safety of both the donor and recipient.
Does Signing Up as a Donor Change My Patient Care?
No. Doctors work tirelessly to save every patient’s life. Donation only becomes an option after there is a complete and irreversible loss of brain function, and the patient is declared clinically and legally dead.
Does My Religion Support Organ, Tissue, and Cornea Donation?
Yes. All major religions in the United States view donation as a final act of compassion, generosity, and love.
Is There a Cost to Be an Organ, Tissue, and Cornea Donor?
No. Donation costs are never passed on to the donor’s family or estate. The family only covers medical expenses incurred before death and funeral arrangements.
Does My Social and/or Financial Status Play Any Part in Whether I Will Receive an Organ If I Need One?
No. A national system matches organs to patients on the waiting list based on blood type, body size, medical urgency, time on the list, and distance from the donor hospital. Factors such as race, income, gender, celebrity, or social status are never considered.
Why Should I Sign Up to Be a Donor?
Most Americans support donation as an opportunity to give life and health to others. However, many people don’t take the crucial step of signing up. Signing up saves lives. You can save up to 8 lives and heal 75+ more through organ, tissue, and cornea donation. It also eases your family’s burden since registering your decision removes the need for your family to make this choice during a time of grief. Signing up allows you to be a symbol of hope. Your registration serves as a promise to those waiting for a second chance.
How Can I Sign Up to Be a Donor?
You can sign up at your local driver’s license center when you receive or renew your license or ID. You can also visit core.org/register to sign up online—it only takes a minute. To sign up through the WVU Medicine system registry, visit RegisterMe.org/WVUMedicine.
Donate Life Facts By the Numbers
More than 100,000 people are awaiting an organ transplant nationally.
250,000 people are in need of tissue and cornea transplants.
Every 8 minutes someone new is added to the national transplant waiting list.
13 people will die each day without receiving a transplant.
8 people can be saved by one organ donor. One tissue donor can health 75 lives.
West Virginia
In our own state, there are about 500 people who are waiting for a transplant...but only 35% of West Virginians are registered as donors.
Learn More
The Center for Organ Recovery and Education (CORE) is one of more than 50 federally designated not-for-profit organ procurement organizations (OPOs) in the United States.