April is Donate Life Month, a time to come together to celebrate the incredible impact of the gift of life through organ transplants.
At Help Hope Live, we provide trusted medical fundraising to thousands of transplant patients and their communities of support. That’s why April is one of our favorite months of the year.
In this post, you’ll learn what Donate Life Month is, the 2026 theme for Donate Life Month, transplant statistics, and how to celebrate by reading stories of hope from donors and transplant recipients.
At the end of the post, you’ll also find information on the costs associated with organ transplants and resources for transplant patients.
Last Updated: April 2026
What is Donate Life Month?
Established by Donate Life America, Donate Life Month is an annual transplant awareness month held every April.
Donate Life Month celebrates the impact of the gift of life and raises awareness about transplants, organ donation, and living donation.
Donate Life Month has several important goals, including:
- Celebrating second chances and new horizons made possible through the gift of life with transplants
- Honoring living organ donors and deceased organ donors and their families
- Encouraging people to register as organ donors or consider becoming living organ donors
- Recognizing the medical professionals who make transplants possible and support patients
- Thanking transplant caregivers and communities of support as they help fuel and even fund the gift of new life through transplants
What is the theme of Donate Life Month 2026?
Here’s how Donate Life chose their 2026 Donate Life Month theme of trees:
“This year’s theme uses trees as a symbol of life and connection. Just like trees grow and support each other in a forest, donation connects people – donors, recipients, and their families. Like a tree that grows and stands for generations, a donor’s gift leaves a lasting legacy of hope and life.”
2026 Transplant Statistics
Donate Life Month is a great opportunity to learn about the far-reaching impact of transplantation. According to a 2026 report from the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS):
- More than 49,064 organ transplants were performed in 2025 in the United States
- On average, 134 transplants took place every day in 2025 in the U.S.
- 7,237 people became living organ donors in 2025
- For the first time in over 10 years, deceased organ donations decreased in 2025 – underscoring the need for registered organ donors and living donors
- Curious how many people are waiting for organ transplants? Read our blog about it here.
Read Transplant Stories for Donate Life Month
Our nonprofit helps transplant families to fundraise for their out-of-pocket medical costs, which can be significant – more on that in the next section. Each April, we like to take the opportunity to share firsthand perspectives on the transplant journey from our client community with our Touched by Transplant series.
Click the button below to read some of our favorite stories from previous Donate Life Month years, and subscribe to this Latest blog so you can receive an email when we post a new transplant interview this year.
We’ve also gathered up some of our favorite quotes about the gift of life in this post.
How much does a transplant cost?
According to data from Milliman from February 2025, the estimated cost of a transplant before insurance is between $577,000 to over $4 million depending on the organ type.
We provide cost reference pages to help you understand how much an organ transplant can cost for families and how many costs may not be covered by insurance before, during, and after a transplant:
Resources for Transplant Patients
Thought insurance may help with some of the costs associated with a transplant, most transplant patients will experience uncovered and out-of-pocket expenses.
That’s why our nonprofit exists: to help prevent the gift of life from becoming a financial burden for transplant candidates and recipients. If you or someone you love is facing transplant-related out-of-pocket expenses, apply to start a trusted medical fundraising campaign with our nonprofit:
Medical fundraising isn’t the right fit for every transplant patient – that’s why we also maintain a vetted directory of transplant resources. This directory includes support groups, trusted organizations, and sources of direct transplant financial aid.
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