National Pediatric Transplant Week

Each year, thousands of children across the world benefit from the life-saving medical intervention that comes through organ donation.

But the list of those in need of organ donors is long and these younger patients often have to wait for a great deal of time for matches because of complex issues related to their young ages.

National Pediatric Transplant Week was founded to bring to light the continued need for donors to register, as well as garnering community support for those families who are impacted by pediatric transplants.

History of National Pediatric Transplant Week

This event was first celebrated in 2018 when organizers of the Transplant Families worked together with Donate Life America to found an event highlighting the specific journey of the pediatric transplant community.

The event is meant to feature the unique challenges and complexities faced by pediatric transplant patients and their families, along with raising awareness about the vital need for organ donation.

Scheduled to take place during the last week of National Donate Life Month, this event has been organized and sponsored through the hard work of several important organizations, including the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS), the American Society of Transplantation (AST), and the Transplant Families group.

How to Celebrate National Pediatric Transplant Week

Get creative with ways to celebrate National Pediatric Transplant Week, starting with some of these ideas for getting inspired:

Sign Up as an Organ Donor

Even though adult organs are larger, in certain cases children can still benefit from adults who are willing to sign up as donors.

Living donations can be made through family members who are good matches, and viable organs from deceased adult donors may also be used to save a child’s life whether through full organs or portions of organs.

Head over to the US government’s organ donor registry website to learn more about signing up.

Host a Pediatric Transplant Week Event

Individuals, families, community organizations, schools and more can get involved in small or large ways by raising awareness and participation through events hosted during this special week.

On a smaller scale, choose to gather friends for a cocktail party where the topic of discussion centers around the amazing ways pediatric transplants save lives and the continued need for more people to get involved.

On a larger scale, community activists might work together with healthcare organizations to promote organ donor registration, educational events, fund-raising activities, and much more in honor of National Pediatric Transplant Week.

Grab Some Free Pediatric Transplant Week Resources

Get the tools and resources needed to celebrate and host events through the Donate Life America page for National Pediatric Transplant Week.

Find printable flyers for events as well as coloring sheet that can be enjoyed by both children and the adults in their lives.

Plus, the page also offers access to tools for social media sharing, including platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and more.

Those who are professionals in the industry can get access to even more through the Donate Life Professionals Page.