Think regifting is limited to December 25th and bad Christmas sweaters? Think again! Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to regift. Valentine’s Day is all about giving your heart to someone else. I am being literal here. I am taking about becoming an organ donor.
Organ donation is dubbed the gift of life, but I think it’s really a regift. We are blessed with these original gifts in our bodies. Take the human liver, for example, it is so amazing, it can regenerate itself even if part of its own tissue dies. On a side note, let’s all take a collective moment to apologize to our liver for our past transgressions – spring break; college; your best friend’s wedding; cheap beer; you fill in the blank. My mother was an organ donor and her organs helped save three people. One recipient now has my mother’s liver; she was a teetotaler to boot so talk about a top of the line regift!
Only around 37 percent of eligible Tennesseans are registered organ donors, well below the national average of around 50 percent. (FYI, New York state has the fewest donors, coming in at an abysmal 33 percent). Why are Tennesseans, known for our volunteer spirit, failing to volunteer our hearts? There’s certainly a lot of “bless your heart” being dished out, but not a lot of actual bestowing of the heart. On this Valentine’s Day, let us all commit to regifting our hearts (and other organs that aren’t quite as Valentine’s theme related).
Please go to donatelifetn.org to become an organ donor. It only takes a few minutes to fill out the online form.
