Comments from a NASCAR driver and a special meeting between a heart transplant recipient and the family of her donor will highlight the annual Donate Life celebration in the Clasen Board Room at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinicsbeginning at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, April 15. The event is free and open to the public.

Joey Gase of Cedar Rapids, an advocate of organ and tissue donation and a competitor on the NASCAR circuit, will speak at the event. Following the unexpected death of his mother when he was in his teens, Gase made the life-changing decision to help others in need by donating her organs and tissue.

In addition, a woman who received a heart transplant will meet the family of her donor for the first time during the event.

Specialists at UI Hospitals and Clinics cared for 27 organ donors in 2013. Leaders credit the strong partnership between Iowa’s only comprehensive academic medical center and the Iowa Donor Network as a key reason for the success of the transplant program.

April is National Donate Life Month. The number of people on waiting list for transplants nationally is 121,327, including 563 in Iowa. More than 29,000 organ transplants occurred nationwide in 2013, and 139 of those took place at UI Hospitals and Clinics. To join the Iowa Donor Registry, visit online at www.iowadonornetwork.org/.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all UI-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to attend this event, contact Jerilyn McCarty in advance at 319-356-8982 or jerilyn-mccarty@uiowa.edu