Give the Gift of Life! 
Through, blood, organ, or tissue donation.
Blood Donation
Every 2 seconds, someone in the United States requires a blood transfusion. That's why Sky Ridge works so closely with the wonderful people at Bonfils Blood Center. Bonfils Blood Center and Sky Ridge are proud to celebrate the Community Lifelines that make our life-saving work possible. Here's just one example of what your blood donation could do:
When Hays Padrnos gave birth to her third baby girl, Ella Christine. Ella was 7 pounds, 1 ounce, looked just like her sisters and was the picture of health. Hays, however, was unusually weak and tired. As the hours passed, she suffered extensive blood loss and needed emergency surgery and blood transfusions to save her life. The selfless generosity of 22 blood donors along with the experienced medical care she received from the staff at Sky Ridge made her recovery possible. Mom and Ella, now one year old, are both healthy, happy and enjoy spending quality time with their family.
If you would like to give the gift of life, please visit the Bonfils website at www.bonfils.org or call the Bonfils' Appointment Center at 303.363.2300. Our remaining 2009 Sky Ridge Blood Drives are August 7 and November 20.
Enhancing Lives through Organ and Tissue Donation
Each year hundreds of thousands of Americans are impacted by organ and tissue donation. In Colorado and Wyoming alone, each year thousands of individuals and families make the selfless decision to give the gift of life by saying ‘yes’ to organ and tissue donation. Decisions such as these change the lives of more than 500,000 Americans who are saved and enhanced by organ and tissue donation every year.
Just one organ donor can save the lives of up to eight people and one tissue donor can impact the lives of more than 50 others. Transplantable organs include the heart, liver, lungs, kidneys, pancreas and small intestine. Tissues that can be transplanted include bone, tendons and corneas as well veins, heart valves and skin. Every year hundreds of thousands of people need donated tissue to prevent or cure blindness, heal burns or save limbs and one out of three people will need donated blood in their lifetime.
For some, the impact of donation may be small or go unnoticed, such as a person receiving donated bone in a simple dental treatment or in common orthopedic procedure. For others, the experience is life-changing and in many cases life-saving. Lives of people suffering from heart and lung disease are saved. Corneal transplants help the blind to see. And donated bone helps restore function to crippled and injured limbs or allows a patient with bone cancer to avoid amputation.
With an average wait of three years for a kidney and up to two for a heart, it is only through the selfless gift of donation that people are given a second chance at life. According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), more than 93,000 Americans currently await a life-saving organ transplant with 17 people dying each day due to the shortage of donated organs.
Our Stories
Arthur's Story
A tragic car accident took his 23-year-old son’s life, but in the midst of the family’s grief, Arthur remembered that Nicholas had registered to be an organ donor when the two of them went to the Department of Motor Vehicles together. Because of this decision, Nicholas saved several lives across the country... <read more>
Brittney's Story
At only 12-weeks of age, she received a heart transplant that has given her a second chance at life. Brittney learned to appreciate the kindness of strangers at an early age and she thanks her donor family for the heart that has made her life possible...<read more>
Heather's Story
I am fortunate and grateful that two people in this world, who decided to say
"yes" to donation, were able to help me in a time of need...<read more>
What You Can Do
There are many ways you can ensure that your wish to donate is honored:
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- Say ‘Yes’ when obtaining or renewing your driver’s license at the Department of Motor Vehicles
- Sign a donor card
- Inform your family about your decision to be a donor
- Include your wishes in your living will
It is estimated that 50 to 60 million Americans have registered their decision to be an organ and tissue donor. Have you?
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