(Radio Iowa) -April is “Donate Life Month” and the Iowa Donor Network raised a flag Monday celebrating the month at Sioux City’s Unity Point St. Lukes offices to celebrate. The Donor Network’s John Jorgensen says there’s a misconception that the donation only benefits the recipient. “But it’s also for families whose loved one has this legacy that lives on, this legacy of hope. And families want so much when they’ve said yes to donation for that completion and to hear back about how these ones who have received that gift of life are doing. And it gives them hope as that goes on,” he says.
Jorgensen’s son was an organ donor. “Being a donor father, three of my son’s donors from 2007 are still alive yet today because of his gift of life,” Jorgensen says. He says many lives were impacted in 2025 by those who made the decision to donate.”One-hundred- 24 organ donors gave 376 organs for transplant, 981 donors gave the gift of sight, restoring the vision and hope to recipients in Iowa and across the country and around the world,” he says.
“Thousands more lives were healed to the generosity of one-thosuand-308 tissue donors in Iowa. That is another record year for tissue donation as those gifts continue.” Jorgensen says it is simple to register to be an organ donor. “So the easiest way is when you renew your driver’s license, just to mark yes. There’s a heart that they can put on your driver’s license that says I register to be an organ tissue and eye donor. Also, if you prefer to go online, IowaDonorNetwork.org, there’s a place to register online for that very same thing,” he says.
There are currently more than 104-thousand Americans on a list waiting for an organ donation. That includes 600 Iowans.
