Give More Than Your Heart On VDay - Donate Life

Valentine's Day is a day we are supposed to declare our love, 'give our heart', to someone and the traditional way to do so is supposed to be to give them gifts. I think a better way to show your love for them and all of mankind is to give to a charity instead. Support a cause that your loved one believes in, do it in their name, and you may be surprised at the response you will get instead of candy or jewelry or even a new smartphone. There are so many I could recommend but if you want again be thoughtful and make it something your love values versus you.

I have an even better idea. Today is appropriately National Donor Day, the day when we pledge our hearts to someone is the day when we can all pledge to literally give our organs to someone when we don't need them anymore. Sign up at organdonor.gov or on Wisconsin directly at our state Donor Registry.

Why agree to donate? Per Donate Life America:

Because you may save up to 8 lives through organ donation and enhance many others through tissue donation. Last year alone, organ donors made more than 28,000 transplants possible. Another one million people received cornea and other tissue transplants that helped them recover from trauma, bone damage, spinal injuries, burns, hearing impairment and vision loss.

Furthermore, per organdonor.gov

• 121,257 people are waiting for an organ
• 18 people will die each day waiting for an organ
• 1 organ donor can save up to 8 lives

I have personal experience with organ donation. Just under a year ago my wife had a tissue transplant to repair her knee, a procedure that placed juvenile cadaver tissue in a bare spot in her knee's cartilage. The result has been nothing short of miraculous and I thank the family that made the decision to donate their child's tissue from the bottom of my heart.

It is important that family and friends know of your intentions. In addition to signing up make sure they are aware of and understand your decision so in case the time comes they know to support it. And of course you can try to convince them to sign up as well.

Please consider signing up today to give the gift if life, the greatest gift you can give.