Show Us Your Heart This Valentine’s Day By Signing Up on the Michigan Organ Donor Registry
Gift of Life Michigan reports 2006 was a record breaking year with 905 organs transplanted from 292 organ donors, saving 103 more lives than the 802 organ transplants in 2005. Last year, there were also 914 tissue donors (bone, skin, veins, ligaments, tendons, etc.), surpassing the previous 2005 records of 792.
Providing more opportunity for everyone to designate their desire to become an organ and tissue donor, the Secretary of State and Gift of Life Michigan are offering all Michigan residents the opportunity to update or add their name to the Michigan Organ Donor Registry through the Show Us Your Heart campaign. It’s easier than ever for residents to add their names to the donor registry and receive a red heart-shaped donor sticker for their driver’s license or state ID card. Michigan residents can sign up online at www.giftoflifemichigan.org or at any Secretary of State branch office.
“In 2006, Michigan broke all previous recovery records for the number of organ and tissue donors. Most importantly, this reflects the greatest number of lives saved from Michigan organ donors in a single year. Consecutively, for the past three years, Michigan has continued to break organ and tissue donation and transplantation records,” said Tom Beyersdorf, Executive Director at Gift of Life Michigan. “Ten years ago Michigan was among the lowest ranked states for the number of organ donors. Today, we’re one of the highest recorded donation states. For this success, we recognize our partnership with Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land, most recently for her role in implementing the new heart donor sticker. Simultaneously, hospitals across the state and the Michigan Health and Hospital Association have contributed significantly to saving more lives in Michigan through awareness and accountability to create a donor friendly America. Most importantly, I attribute saved lives to the generosity of each donor and their families.”
It’s necessary for all residents, whether they’ve already added their name to the Organ Donor Registry in the past, or assumed they are registered because they’ve signed the back of their license, to take a minute to re-enroll by visiting www.giftoflifemichigan.org, clicking on “Become a Donor” and adding their individual information. Residents can also request a Donor Registry by calling 800-482-4881.
“Last year’s transplant successes forever changed the lives of many people, who now enjoy the renewed health that organ donation brings,” said Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land. “But with more than 3,200 residents still on the state’s waiting list, there’s more to be done. I commend Gift of Life Michigan, the Michigan Eye-Bank and all of our organ donor partners for their efforts in promoting this important issue. Through our heart sticker campaign, we want everyone to ‘show us your heart’ by signing up to be a donor and getting a heart sticker for your license or state ID.”
National research shows that states with similar heart insignia laws experienced a sharp increase in registered donors, due to the ease of the registration process and visual symbol on the front of the driver’s license indicating intent to become a donor. Based on this research, it’s expected that by 2012, the number of registered donors in Michigan will rise from the current 10% level to 40% of Michigan residents committed to helping save lives through organ and tissue donation.
Gift of Life Michigan is the state’s federally authorized organ recovery organization. To learn more about the organ and tissue donation education fund or to sign up on the Michigan Organ Donor Registry, visit www.giftoflifemichigan.org or call 800-482-4881.
Editor’s Note: If you would like to set up an on-air interview with Gift of Life Michigan staff and/or feature a local family affected by organ, tissue or eye donation, please call Peggy Burkhard at (248) 770-5172 or e-mail peggyburkhard@sbcglobal.net.