Be a super hero and sign up to be an organ donor

Editor:

Are you an organ donor? Have you talked to your loved ones so that they know your wishes? Well you could be, and you definitely you should be.

Everyday people are dying while they are waiting on a list to receive a life-saving organ. It doesn’t have to be that way. The wait doesn’t need to be so long. We all have the ability to change this. We have the ability to save lives, up to 8 lives can be saved by one single person signing an Organ Donor card.

Why wouldn’t you want to do this? After you pass away your gift of life can save a life. You can help another person live.

Your legacy could be that you lived your life well and when it was over you became a super hero, a life saver, an organ donor.

While New York State has made great strides in the past few years to sign up donors we still have a long way to go. New York State is still one of last on the list for the number of residents signed up to be organ donors. There are a few new laws in place that are starting to help with this situation.

One of the new laws on the books is that you now must check the Organ Donor box on the forms at the Department of Motor vehicle. This has helped raise awareness and the number of registered organ donors immensely. In the past when we went to DMV we would go to the information desk to ask what forms we needed, they then highlighted the form for us and we never read what was on the rest of that form, including that little box that says do you want to be an organ donor.

Now due to this law change that question must be answered, yes or no, it’s a decision we all now have to make. I hope you give this decision great thought as someone’s life could depend on it.

Another law change that has helped raise the numbers of signed up organ donors is 16-year-olds now have the ability to sign up on the organ donor list. Their parents still have the right to make that final decision for their child until they become of age, but if the minor child should pass away parents now at least know what their child’s wishes were even if they never really had that discussion. That change was a very important one.

With the use of computers many of us are no longer going to the DMV in person. Much of our business is now done through the mail or online. Even when you purchase a new car these days the dealer takes care of everything for you. Back in the day you used to have to go to DMV to register your new vehicle.

We used to have to get a new license every few years. So up to DMV we would go, but not so much anymore. For this reason it is important to have our young people sign that donor card when they go apply for their permits and get their licenses for the first time. Along with missed opportunities to sign people up due to the use of computers we also now have the ability to sign that donor card due to computers, NY DMV or Organdonor.gov are two places that are just a click away from you becoming an organ donor.

My husband received the gift of life in 2014 . We were one of the lucky ones. Many are not so blessed. It shouldn’t depend on luck. It should depend on compassion, education, need to help our fellow man, the need to do the right thing.

Please sign up to be an organ donor.

Sincerely,

Lori Laine

Albion