ALF marks Donate Life Month in April with focus on living liver donors
Events, support groups aim to raise awareness and connect donors, patients
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April is officially recognized in the U.S. as National Donate Life Month, an opportunity to highlight the extraordinary impact of organ donation, and the American Liver Foundation (ALF) is inviting everyone to participate by attending events, sharing stories, and registering to be an organ donor.
This year, the ALF is shining a particular spotlight on its Living Donor Network, a project that was launched late last year with the goal of helping people interested in donating a portion of their liver connect with transplant centers. For people with liver diseases such as primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) or primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), finding a suitable donor can be lifesaving.
“Although we celebrate National Donate Life Month every year, ALF works hard each and every day to put a spotlight on the need for liver organ donation and the importance of lifesaving living donor liver transplants; we’re proud to be part of the solution,” Lorraine Stiehl, CEO of the ALF and caregiver to a transplant recipient, said in a press release from the foundation.
Liver diseases like PBC and PSC can lead to need for transplant
PBC and PSC both are disorders marked by cholangitis, or inflammation in the bile ducts, a series of tubes that carry the digestive fluid bile from the liver to the intestines, which can lead to liver damage. In cases where liver damage becomes severe and the organ ceases to work properly, a liver transplant may be the only viable treatment option.
Liver transplant also can be lifesaving for people with a range of other liver diseases, including biliary atresia, Alagille syndrome, hepatitis, and steatotic liver disease.
Some people with liver disease may receive an organ from a deceased donor, but there are thousands of people on the waiting list for liver transplant, and there simply aren’t enough suitable livers from deceased donors.
To help fill this gap, living donors may choose to donate a portion of their liver. Because the liver is able to regenerate, both the donor’s liver and the portion that is transplanted can grow and form a fully functioning liver. The ALF offers an online information center with a range of resources, including a complete toolkit, related to living liver donation.
Most living donor liver transplants occur between people who know each other, but some people choose to donate their liver to a stranger, known as non-directed donation. The ALF’s Living Donor Network is a voluntary database for non-directed donors that helps connect interested donors with transplant centers for further evaluation.
ALF events and support groups mark Donate Life Month in April
In addition to spotlighting the new registry, the ALF is hosting a range of activities throughout April. The foundation will host multiple online support groups, including one for patients on April 9 and one for transplant recipients on April 16. Both of these virtual sessions will run from 1-2:30 p.m. EST.
On April 11 at 11 a.m. EST, the ALF will host the 2026 ReBirthday Celebration, a virtual event that honors transplant recipients celebrating a second chance at life. The keynote speaker will be Sudha Kodali, MD, a hepatologist (liver disease specialist) at Houston Methodist, who will share encouragement and insights into the transplant process for patients, caregivers, donors, and individuals who are still on the liver donation waitlist.
“ALF’s Living Donor Network, ongoing educational webinars, the resource center, and numerous support groups ensure that liver patients, their families and those who care for them have the information and encouragement needed throughout their liver transplant journey,” Stiehl said.
