Donate Life
at Long Beach Memorial
In 2011, more than 14,000 organ donors donated their organs and tissue and helped physicians perform more than 28,000 organ transplants - resulting in thousands of lives being saved. Long Beach Memorial proudly supports organ, eye and tissue donation and works with Donate Life America to provide this service for our patients.
Donate Life America is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit alliance of national organizations and state teams across the United States committed to increasing organ, eye and tissue donation.
Patients can donate organs, tissue, corneas or "living" donations. Organ donation is the process of giving an organ or part of one to be transplanted into another person. Tissue donation is when tissues such as skin, bone and heart valves are donated to help improve the quality of life for recipients. One tissue donor can enhance the lives of more than 50 people. Cornea donation helps preserve and restore eye sight. "Living" donations are when organs are donated while the donor and recipient are still alive. Kidneys are the most common organs donated by living donors.
At Long Beach Memorial, we fly the Donate Life flag for eight days in front of the hospital to honor the life-saving contributions of patients and their families. These families that have consented to multiple organ donations, help save the lives of up to five other people in need of organ transplantation. We use this symbol to take a moment to recognize the precious gift of life given by a patient and their family. Organ donation does not only help those receiving the donation, but it also helps those families who are mourning the loss of a family member to find some peace and comfort in knowing that their loved one is helping another person and their family.
According to Donate Life America, there are currently 113,115 patients waiting to receive a transplant. Each year the need for organs and tissues grows faster than the number available for transplantation. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming an organ donor, visit Donate Life.
