U.S. Census Bureau Daily Feature for April 17

WASHINGTON, April 17, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is the daily "Profile America" feature from the U.S. Census Bureau:

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SUNDAY, APRIL 17: DONATING LIFE

Profile America — Sunday, April 17th.  April is a month of spring and resurgence.  It's also National Donate Life month — a time to consider organ donation to give a new lease on life to someone in need.  The purpose of the observance is to encourage organ and tissue donation, and to sign a donor card when getting a driver's license.  Each day, it's estimated that more than 70 people are given a chance to extend their lives by transplant operations.  However, 18 others die every day because of a shortage of donations.  Nearly 110,000 people are on waiting lists for donated organs to save them from certain death.  Transplant operations have become very successful, with the one year survival rate for some procedures as high as 98 percent.  You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at www.census.gov.  

Sources:  Chase's Calendar of Events 2011, p. 199

www.organdonor.gov

Statistical Abstract of the United States 2011, t. 177

Profile America is produced by the Public Information Office of the U.S. Census Bureau. These daily features are available as produced segments, ready to air, on a monthly CD or on the Internet at http://www.census.gov (look for "Multimedia Gallery" by the "Newsroom" button).  

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau