HARRISBURG, Pa. — This January, choose a meaningful New Year’s resolution that’s free, easy and won’t easily be broken: registering as an organ and tissue donor.
Every January 1, Pennsylvanians make resolutions to start the New Year off on the right foot. While resolving to save money or exercise regularly are worthwhile causes, many people fail at keeping them within just a few short weeks. Registering as an organ and tissue donor is a resolution that has the potential to save up to eight lives and enhance the lives of more than 75 people. As a bonus, registration only takes 30 seconds to complete online at DonateLifePA.org/registration.
“This December, residents throughout the state will begin thinking about the best way to start 2017 off on a positive and productive note,” said Susan Stuart, President and CEO of the Center for Organ Recovery & Education. “We’re confident that registering as an organ and tissue donor represents the perfect solution to this challenge. Not only can those who register claim bragging rights about keeping their resolution, they can also take pride in knowing that they’ve made a selfless decision that benefits the greater good.”
“The holiday season is filled with joyful reunions with loved ones, and we encourage Pennsylvanians to serve as a positive example for friends and family by registering to save lives,” said Howard Nathan, President and CEO of Gift of Life Donor Program. “When you attend holiday parties this year, let others know about your resolution to register and ask them to do the same.”
While 90 percent of people in Pennsylvania support organ and tissue donation, only 46 percent of Pennsylvanians are actually registered donors.
More than 8,000 people are waiting for an organ transplant in Pennsylvania. On average, someone dies every 18 hours waiting for a second chance at life.
Anyone, regardless of age or medical history, can sign up to be an organ and tissue donor; there is no cost to donors or their families. All major religions in the United States support organ and tissue donation, and consider it a final act of love and generosity toward others. Registering as an organ and tissue donor only takes 30 seconds and can be done at DonateLifePA.org/registration.
About Donate Life PA
Donate Life PA is a collaborative initiative between Gift of Life Donor Program (GOL), the Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE) — the two organ procurement organizations serving Pennsylvania — and the Pennsylvania Departments of Health and Transportation. It is funded by state residents through voluntary contributions included with driver’s license renewals, vehicle registrations and state income tax filings. All contributions are used by the Governor Robert P. Casey Memorial Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Trust Fund to educate residents, build awareness about the importance of organ and tissue donation, and increase the number of people who sign up to become donors on their driver’s license, learner’s permit, or state identification card. Visit us at DonateLifePA.org or at Facebook.com/DonateLifePennsylvania.
About the Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE)
The Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE) is one of 58 federally designated not-for- profit organ procurement organizations (OPOs) in the United States. CORE works closely with donor families and designated health care professionals to coordinate the surgical recovery of organs, tissues and corneas for transplantation. CORE also facilitates the computerized matching of donated organs and placement of corneas. With headquarters in Pittsburgh and an office in Charleston, West Virginia, CORE oversees a region that encompasses 155 hospitals and almost six million people throughout western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Chemung County, NY.
About the Gift of Life Donor Program (GOL)
Since 1974, Gift of Life has coordinated more than 42,000 organ transplants and an estimated 600,000 tissue transplants. Gift of Life’s service area includes nearly 11 million people throughout the eastern half of Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware, and in 2015, the organization coordinated over 44 organ donors per million population, ranking it among the highest in the world. For more information about organ and tissue donation or to register today, visit Donors1.org. It only takes 30 seconds to register.
