Why Should I Be an Organ Donor?

Each day more than 100 people are added to the national transplant waiting list and 17 people die unnecessarily simply because the organ they need is not available. If more people said yes to donation fewer lives would be lost. A 2005 University of Minnesota study found that 97% of Minnesotans support donation, yet data from the Department of Public Safety, shows that only 43% of Minnesotans have ‘donor' marked on their driver's license.

The most commonly cited reason individuals report for not having ‘donor' on their driver's license is simply because they haven't gotten around to it." Now there's a new more convenient way for Minnesotans to become a donor. In 2007, Governor Tim Pawlenty became the first Minnesotan to register as an organ and tissue donor on the state's new online registry.

Think about the last time you were getting a license - it's hectic and a long wait. Possibly the last thing on your mind was considering to be a donor. The online registry allows you to mark your wishes when you want.

The online registry is a secure database that records the same information as the driver license to ensure that person's wish to be a donor is fulfilled. Warren waited for two years for a life saving transplant, during this time he was unsure of his fate. He was used to taking care of his family and it was very hard for him to watch his family struggle while he was sick.

By deciding to be a donor, you give the gift of hope ... hope for the thousands of individuals awaiting organ transplants and hope for the millions of individuals whose lives could be enhanced through tissue transplants. Use the link below and then select your state to register as an organ, tissue, and eye donor. > Register in your state to be a donor.