Decatur Memorial Hospital highlights organ donation during National Donate Life Month

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - Decatur Memorial Hospital raised its flag to emphasize the importance of organ and tissue donation.

April is National Donate Life Month, and the Gift of Hope Organ and Tissue Donor Network said nearly 5,000 people in Illinois are waiting for an organ transplant.

Brian Welham, a Gift of Hope volunteer ambassador, said it's more important than ever to remind others to sign up.

"To raise awareness that now is the time to have conversations with your family, make that decision to be an organ donor because tomorrow's never promised, so having gone through that, it's much easier to have those conversations ahead of time than it is at that moment in the hospital," Welham said.

Over the past 10 years, DMH has completed 293 tissue donations.