Sierra Donor Services encourages all Californians to sign up to be a donor in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Liver Health Awareness Month. Photo courtesy of Sierra Donor Services

WEST SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Liver Awareness Month, Sierra Donor Services is proud to join the national conversation around prevention, education and healing.

These two vital observances align with Sierra Donor Services’ mission to save and improve more lives through organ, eye and tissue donation.

Like those awaiting transplants, breast cancer and liver disease continue to affect thousands of people and families across the country. While awareness and early detection remain critical, many patients facing late-stage diagnoses often require life-changing or even life-saving tissue or organ transplants.

“Watching my son grow, taking his first step, speaking his first word; we wouldn’t have had that without the gift of a transplant.” said Reymon Hernandez, father of liver recipient Noah Hernandez. “I wear my green Donate Life wristband every day as a reminder of the gift of life to my son. He received his life-saving liver transplant when he was only six months old. A split liver transplant saved his life.”

Every October, Sierra Donor Services shines a light on how donor gifts that include skin, bone and organs play a vital role in treatment and recovery for patients.

Breast Cancer Survivors often rely on donated skin and tissue grafts to support healing after mastectomy. For many, reconstructive surgery is a vital step in restoring both physical appearance and emotional well-being. With one in eight women likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer, the need is significant. Donated skin grafts play a crucial role in reconstruction, offering not just medical support but a dignified foundation for healing, confidence and hope after treatment.

Patients with liver disease, including hepatitis, cirrhosis or cancer, often depend on a transplant as their only chance of survival. An estimated 40% of U.S. adults are affected by some form of liver disease, with nearly 10,000 people currently waiting for a life-saving liver transplant. Many are not diagnosed until the disease is in its advanced stages, when the liver is already severely damaged. That is where donors make all the difference. By giving more than just an organ, they offer families renewed hope, restore purpose and give patients a second chance at life.

Sierra Donor Services encourages everyone in the community to learn about breast cancer and liver disease prevention and to register as an organ, eye and tissue donor to help bring hope to those in need, while honoring those who have given the gift of life and the many who are still waiting.

Sierra Donor Services encourages all Californians to sign up to be a donor in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Liver Health Awareness Month. As Sierra Donor Services reflects on 40 years of impact, the organization remains committed to its mission of saving lives, honoring donors and educating the public. Be part of this life-changing legacy. Register today online at SierraDonor.org.

Founded in 1985, Sierra Donor Services is a federally designated, mission-driven nonprofit organ procurement organization dedicated to saving and improving lives through organ and tissue donation. Serving more than 2.8 million people across 13 counties in Northern California and Nevada, Sierra Donor Services is part of a national network supporting donation efforts in Tennessee and New Mexico. For more information, visit SierraDonor.org.