Writing Prompts to Inspire

Below you will find a series of writing prompts, facts, and illustrations of the precious Gift of Life. These are suggested prompts to inspire you. You can take inspiration from one, three, or all. You may choose to do your own research. Whatever donation story you choose to share at Speak Now, Speak Life, it is yours to create and help make a positive impact for the lifesaving mission of organ, eye, and tissue donation in our community.

What is the Gift of Life?

Life made possible by an organ, eye, and tissue donor. There is no greater gift to humanity than the Gift of Life through organ, eye, and tissue donation. Through this final act of generosity, many people with life-threatening illnesses have hope of a second chance at life. One donor can save up to eight lives. The organ donation process may include recovering vital organs such as the heart, liver, pancreas, kidneys, and lungs. A gift of corneas can give sight to two individuals, and the donation of tissue can provide healing and mobility to 75 more. Watch the complete process here.

Overcoming Fear to Register

Download the 5 common questions we receive in the community about organ, eye, and tissue donation. Choose one or more to speak truth to.

Save Lives! Say “Yes!” - The Personal Decision to Register as an Organ Donor

Why should someone register as an organ, eye, and tissue donor? Download this fact sheet for inspiration or watch the videos on this page.

Show Me Your Heart! What My Red Heart Says About Me

Floridians receive a red heart, badge of honor, on their driver's license when they say “YES” to registering as an organ, eye, and tissue donor. What does your red heart on your driver’s license say about you? Why are you a registered organ donor?

The Call - A Recipient’s Wait for an Organ

More than 100,000 children and adults are awaiting a lifesaving organ transplant in the United States. More than 5,000 live here in Florida. Tell their story. What is it like to wait for the phone call that will save your life? Watch the recipient videos on this page for inspiration.

Watch Stan’s story here.

Stories of Hope - Donate Life America

The Importance of Talking to Your Family About Donation

When someone does not register as an organ, eye, or tissue donor, the decision to donate is left with their immediate family. To care for your family during a difficult time, start a conversation about each person’s end-of-life wishes. Having these conversations at home helps relieve a family from making these critical decisions at a hospital during a time of unthinkable loss.

Watch Pedro’s legacy here.

Watch “Have the Conversation”

The Power to Save 8 Lives through Organ Donation

An organ donor has the power to save 8 lives through 8 vital organs: heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, pancreas, and intestine. Empower the community to leave a legacy of caring for others. Watch the complete process here.

The Symbolism of the Tree of Life

The Tree of Life is commonly depicted as a large tree with roots that spread inward to the ground and branches that spread outward, both connecting the physical world to the sky and the heavens. The Gift of Life connects us all.

"Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago." -Warren Buffett

The Ripple Effect of Organ Donation

Take a moment now to realize the great impact of organ donation on the world around us. Like a drop of a pebble in water, an endless ripple of hope is sent into the world. Hope in the form of more birthdays, graduations, wedding days, Christmas mornings with mom and dad, priceless memories– big and small – all made possible because of an organ donor hero. Because someone said “YES.” Watch four moms speak to the ripple of saying “yes” to donation.

“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples” -Mother Teresa 

The Symbolism of the Pinwheel

A pinwheel’s ability to capture and pass on energy reminds us of the power we all have to give the Gift of Life through organ, eye, and tissue donation.

Each Donate Life pinwheel has four sails supported by one stem, symbolizing the power one person has to donate an organ, eye, tissue, or blood. For recipients, a donation can turn sickness and injury into a second chance at life. For donors, registering can turn a sorrowful time into a source of comfort for family and a renewed life for others.

Organ Donation Lets Life Bloom

Speak to the analogy of planting a seed and watching life bloom. The Gift of Life plants a seed of kindness and generosity that blooms into a beautiful life of hope.

Faith in Donation - What Sacred Text Says About Giving Life

Utilize sacred text or scripture as your inspiration in acknowledging the generosity of giving life.

Butterfly, A Symbol of Hope

The butterfly represents organ donation as a symbol of change and is also well-established as a symbol of new life and hope. The transformation of the butterfly complements the ability of donation to turn what’s lost into something beautiful.

The Gift of Sight through Cornea Donation

One donor can give the Gift of Sight to two people through cornea donation. Speak to the power of through the darkness to the light of a new day with the Gift of Sight.

The Gift of Healing and Mobility through Tissue Donation

One donor can give healing and mobility to more than 75 individuals through the Gift of Tissue. Mothers can walk again through the gift of a tendon, hearts are strengthened and beat stronger with the gift of a heart valve, a young burn victim’s life can be saved through skin donation, and a breast cancer survivor can have reconstructive surgery to live an everyday life again. Write a story portraying the impact of tissue donation.

A Recipient’s Dream Bucket List

Recipients of the Gift of Life have hope of many tomorrows—a second chance at life to achieve their dreams. Write about what the Gift of Life could make possible for an organ recipient. Because someone said “YES,” a small child can play again with a new heart, a loving father can walk his daughter down the aisle with a new liver, and someone is taking their first deep breath because they received new lungs. Each gift has a story. Stories of Hope - Donate Life America

True Life Stories

Be inspired by the many stories of hope here: Stories of Hope - Donate Life America

Organ Donation as a Legacy

A final act of kindness and generosity, the Gift of Life to others.

The Grief Cycle - Finding Light in the Darkness

Saying “YES” to organ donation when experiencing unimaginable loss. Families decide to give life as they shuffle between the stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. In their darkest moments, families find a light through organ donation. Learn more about the Light in the Darkness from the 2020 Donate Life Rose Parade Float theme here.

How African American and other Multicultural communities are impacted by the need for organ transplants

Multicultural communities make up more than 30% of those waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant. Learn more about the facts here.