News

Southwest Healthcare Palmdale Regional Medical Center is partnering with OneLegacy during the month of April, joining thousands of hospitals and community organizations around the U.S. to celebrate National Donate Life Month. This monthlong celebration includes local, regional and national activities designed to help inspire people in the U.S. to register as organ, eye and tissue donors and to honor those who have saved lives through the gift of donation.

“In California alone nearly 20,000 people are waiting to receive a lifesaving organ transplant, but there are simply not enough donors to meet the growing need,” said Nana Deeb, Chief Executive Officer. “Nationwide there are more than 100,000 people currently on waiting lists and unfortunately 17 people die each day while waiting for a lifesaving organ donation. But it doesn’t need to be this way.”

A single organ donor can save the lives of up to eight people and improve the lives of as many as 75 more by donating their corneas and tissue. More than 48,000 lifesaving transplants were performed in the U.S. in 2024, an increase of 3.3 percent from 2023. The need for lifesaving transplants continues.

National Donate Life Month recognizes the generosity of those who have saved and healed lives by becoming donors, while also highlighting the critical need for more people to register as donors. Activities in April include: 

• Flags Across America – On Wednesday, April 9 at 10:30 a.m., Palmdale Regional Medical Center will be raising the Donate Life flag. A small ceremony will be held with key staff members and speakers from both Palmdale Regional Medical Center and the OneLegacy organ donation organization. The media and public are invited to attend. The flag is a visible and unifying statement about the importance of donation and celebrates the hundreds of thousands of donors and recipients whose lives have been affected by organ, eye and tissue donation.

“Organ, eye and tissue donation is one of the highest expressions of compassion and generosity,” said Prasad Garimella, CEO of OneLegacy, the largest organ, eye and tissue procurement organization in the U.S., serving seven counties in Southern California. “We are grateful for Palmdale Regional to continue partnering with us to share the importance of this message, and we applaud the big-heartedness of those who save lives by becoming donors and encourage others in our community to do the same.”

Becoming an organ or tissue donor is easy. People may register at the local DMV or online at www.OneLegacy.org/Register.

To help facilitate organ recovery and placement, Palmdale Regional is one of more than 200 hospitals and nine transplant centers in Southern California who work directly with OneLegacy, the largest nonprofit organ, eye and tissue recovery organization in the world.