CHICAGO, Feb. 12, 2015 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — February 14^th is National Donor Day. To celebrate, Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network announced a record number of lives saved by helping 334 donors and their families donate 1,020 organs to patients waiting for a transplant, giving them a second chance at life last year.

“In 2014 we helped more people than ever before in our 28 year history and made a huge difference in the lives of many people,” said Kevin Cmunt, Gift of Hope President/CEO. “But none of this would have been possible without the selfless decisions made by individuals and family members to offer the gift of life to others through donation,” added Cmunt.

Despite this accomplishment, the shortage of donated organs remains critical. More than 5,200 Illinoisans currently are waiting for transplants, and the gap between the number of people waiting and available organs continues to widen. That is why today Gift of Hope invites the community to become organ and tissue donors.

“Every year through our efforts, we confirm that compassion and generosity are part of our community culture,” said Raiza Mendoza, Manager of Hispanic Affairs for Gift of Hope. “The contribution of the Latino community also set a record as the number of registered donors increased substantially, presenting the highest donor authorization rate at Gift of Hope in the entire year,” concluded Mendoza.

Today, Hispanics are more receptive to Gift of Hope’s message about registering to become organ donors and making this matter an everyday conversation among family and friends. Consequently, the organization has raised the bar on programs and services to continue educating, inspiring and addressing their sensitive needs with initiatives such as: Scholarships for Hope, Stories for Hope and Mission Smile for Hope. To that end, Gift of Hope delivered hundreds of toys to: Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center, Mt. Sinai Children’s Hospital, University of Illinois Children’s Hospital and its Pediatric Transplant Center, with a final delivery to the children of El Hogar del Nino taking place this Friday, February 13^th in observance of National Donation Day.

It is also important to emphasize the legislative accomplishments that have brought a positive impact to the area of organ and tissue donation in Illinois, like the signing of SB0741, the alignment of Medicare and Medicaid services, which would allow some excluded patients a greater access to transplants, and the passing of SB0957, which allows thousands of undocumented drivers to register as donors when they apply for their temporary driver’s licenses.

“When the community gets united to help in the solution of its needs, the outcome is always positive. The record we celebrate today is the result of the shared work of Gift of Hope, healthcare partners, legislators, religious and community leaders, and a generous community willing to keep giving hope to those in need,” Mendoza concluded.

About Gift of Hope 
Gift of Hope Organ and Tissue Donor Network is a nonprofit organization that coordinates donation of organs and tissues with 180 hospitals in Illinois and northeast Indiana. Since its inception in 1987, Gift of Hope has coordinated donations that have saved the lives of more than 20,000 organ transplant beneficiaries, and bettering the lives of hundreds of thousands of recipients of tissue transplants. For more information: www.giftofhope.org/espanol or call: 877-577-3747.