Donate Life Stresses Importance of Organ Donation Awareness Donate Life

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News)- Every 10 minutes another person is added to the national transplant waiting list. This April Donate Life is celebrating Organ Donation Awareness Month by encouraging Americans to register as organ, eye and tissue donors and to celebrate those that have saved lives through the gift of donation.

Locally, the Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network has been coordinating events, community activities and opportunities throughout the month to give people the chance to learn more about organ donation and to then hopefully join the registry. Nancy Ryan, the Director of Marketing and Community Relations at Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network, says the organization has been doing an extensive amount outreach in 37 of their hospitals they partner with.

“I think this year more than any of the past years, our outreach has really multiplied, particularly in the Syracuse area,” Ryan said.

Generating organ donation awareness in the Syracuse- Rochester area is one of the organizations top priorities because of the 800 people who are currently waiting for an organ or tissue transplant in the region.

“Imagine 800 people who are living in this region waking up every morning wondering if today is the day that they are going to get the phone call that an organ is available for them,” she says.

Throughout the past year, New York State has made the process to become an organ donor much easier through providing more options to register other than going to the DMV. When New Yorkers enroll for health benefits through the state on the Heath Exchange Form, they now have the option to register to become a donor. Within the past year the state registered 130,000 new organ, eye and tissue donors just through the convenience of that form.

The Finger Lakes region has specifically seen the impacts of new donor registration laws. Ryan says she has seen remarkable numbers with the amount of donors registered with about 46 percent of the population being enrolled as a donor.

“People have been great about about making their decisions and putting their wishes in writing by joining the registry,” she says.

Emma Rothman, a sophomore at Syracuse University, created her own non profit organization to assist in organ donation after receiving a heart transplant about eight years ago. Her foundation called Hearts for Emma focuses on educating people about the importance of organ donation.

“We feel it’s important to start educating people in high school when students are getting their driver’s licence,” Rothman said. “The goal is to make the topic or organ donation more approachable and less of a taboo in family conversation.”

Like Rothman, Ryan also believes there is a negative stigma that comes with organ donation, which is why the need for education and awareness is so important.

“A lot of people think organ and tissue donation won’t impact me and I don’t have to worry about that,” Ryan said. “However, suddenly it might and whether its a loved one or it could someone in another person’s family might be able to give the gift of life.”

Donate Life will continue to spread the message of organ donation not only for the rest of the month, but every month.

One person can save the life eight people. Go to DonateLife.net to learn more information about organ donation.