Become An Organ Donor

Too many people die every year because of the serious shortage of organ and tissue donors. I would like to remind you how you can save lives by becoming an organ donor.
There are currently more than 85,000 individuals nationwide, including many thousands of New Yorkers, who are waiting for organ transplants. Additionally tens of thousands more are waiting for vital tissue transplants. Organ and tissue transplantation have saved and enhanced the lives of thousands of men, women, and children nationwide.
According to the New York State Department of Health, one person who donates his or her organs can save up to eight lives, while a tissue donor can significantly improve twelve or more lives.
Thankfully, each year in our state, more than 1,000 kidneys, livers, and hearts are transplanted because of this selfless and heroic act by hundreds of donors.
Nonetheless, many thousands of New Yorkers remain on waiting lists, because the need for organ donations greatly outnumbers availability. Thousands of others, mostly burn and cancer patients, await tissue donations for lifesaving transplants.
To enroll in New York’s Organ and Tissue Donor Registry, simply check the donor box on your driver’s license or non-driver identification card application or renewal form and you will be enrolled automatically. You can also enroll through the State Health Department’s web site at www.health.state.ny.us.
Should you decide to enroll as an organ donor, it is important to remember that family consent is required for any organ or tissue donation; thus, it is advisable to discuss your intentions to become a donor with your family. At the time of organ and tissue donation, the local organ procurement organization or tissue bank will inform your family of your decision and will require final approval. Only by taking these steps can you ensure that your desire to donate and save lives will be carried through.
Some people claim that if one were to enroll as an organ donor, it would somehow negatively affect the quality of medical care one receives during a hospital stay. Every effort is made to save a life before donation is even considered. A transplant team does not become involved with the patient until doctors have determined that ALL possible efforts to save the patient’s life have failed.
The number of people requiring a lifesaving transplant continues to rise faster than the number of donors. Approximately 300 new transplant candidates are added to the waiting list each month nationally. In light of the growing shortages that exist in the supplies of organs and tissues available for transplantation, people should be giving others this “Gift of Life.” It is, after all, the most precious of all gifts.
For further information about organ and tissue donation, please contact the New York State Department of Health at 1-866-NYDONOR (1-866-693-6667).
— Senator Toby Ann Stavisky is Assistant Minority Whip