Mitch Landrieu: “I rise today to say just a few words about Senator Durbin's measure honoring National Donor Day on February 10, 2001. I…”

“I rise today to say just a few words about Senator Durbin's measure honoring National Donor Day on February 10, 2001. I am proud to join Senator Durbin as a cosponsor of this measure. As Americans, one of the many things that we can be thankful for is the high quality of medical care. American technology, physicians, and pharmaceutical companies are often leaders in the development of new and improved healthcare equipment and techniques. But even the most cutting-edge technologies, the best doctors and nurses, and the finest facilities cannot save the life of a person in need of a transplant or transfusion. A grandfather with failing kidneys, a child with cancer, a mother who was in a car accident--any of these individuals could be saved by a gift of blood or an organ. Without these vital gifts, all of which are in great demand, many of our patients would not survive. Let me just take a moment to mention a few very telling facts. Only five percent of people who are able to donate blood do so on a regular basis. And, although donated blood can be stored for up to six weeks, is rarely is for more than ten days, because the demand is so great. And that is just for the donation of blood. There are more than 70,000 individuals awaiting organ transplants at any given time, and ten people die every day because of the shortage of these organs.”