Nearly 1,300 in Denver metro area in need of life-saving organ and tissue transplants

Donors are being honored during the month of April along with their families who agree to donate an organ, eye, and tissue. On Friday, these donors were acknowledged with a Donate Life Flag Ceremony.

Even with the help of these donors, there are still thousands who currently need a lifesaving organ transplant. Right now, nearly 1,300 people in the Denver metro area community are waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant and thousands more need healing tissue. Just one person can save up to eight lives through organ donation and heal up to 75 lives through tissue donations.

Donor Alliance is partnering with the Consulate of Guatemala for Friday's ceremony. The Donate Life Flag is flown to honor the gift of life. It is also raised in unity, remembrance, and support.

Your CBS News Colorado Reporter Brian Sherrod met Elsa Tellez, a Donor Alliance Advocate Volunteer and the mother of a transplant recipient. Her son Jaime received a cornea from a generous donor, which helped him regain his sight. He was around six to seven years old when he was diagnosed with aggressive cataracts in both eyes.

Tellez tells CBS Colorado this transplant not only helped her son get his driver's license but now he is in school, getting his master's degree.

"It went really fast," Tellez said. "We waited no longer than three to four months before he received the cornea transplants, and everything went fine. It was successful and up until this day, he is doing fine."

It is never too late to become an organ, eye, and tissue donor. There are two options, register online at donatelifecolorado.org or during Colorado driver's license renewal.