Organ Donation

Ever since I could make the choice to be an organ donor on my license, I chose yes.  However, it wasn’t until four years ago that I realized there was more to it than just having that put on my license.  My brother-in-law, Greg, was the first person to tell me I needed to register and receive a sticker to put on my license.  He is very passionate about this subject and agreed to help me with this week’s post.  This is what he wrote:

April is Donate Life Month

Being an Organ & Tissue Donor means that you can save the lives of 8 others!

There are over 110,000 people on transplant waiting lists in need of organs.  18 of them will die every day.  At one point my Dad was one of those people.  He suffered for years with severe health related issues while on the transplant list waiting for someone to save his life.  Because so few people have signed up to be Organ Donors there is a lack of available organs.  But, one day someone saved my Dad’s life.  They took just 2 minutes out of their day at some point in their life to sign up and be an Organ Donor.  My Dad received their liver through a transplant after they died in a car accident and although there is a family out there who lost a loved one that day that person now lives on as a part of our family. 

Last year alone, organ donors made more than 28,000 transplants possible. Another one million people received cornea and other tissue transplants that helped them recover from trauma, bone damage, spinal injuries, burns, hearing impairment and vision loss.

Please take the time to save a life by signing up today!

Facts

·         You can still have a traditional funeral if you donate your organs

·         You can choose which organs you would like to donate and which you would not

·         Most major religions support organ donation

·         There is no cost of organ donation to the donor, their family, or estate

·         Doctors will always do everything they can to save your life regardless of whether you are an organ donor or not

·         You should tell your loved ones about your decision to be an Organ Donor because they will be asked to confirm permission to donate your organs even though you have signed up

For more information & to sign up to be an Organ & Tissue Donor go here:National Organ & Tissue Donation website:  http://organdonor.gov/
Arizona Donor Registry website: http://www.azdonorregistry.org/

“No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13)