Encourage a donation

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April 23, 2009

– The Herald Bulletin, Anderson The Kokomo Tribune Thu Apr 23, 2009, 09:44 PM EDT

You may not need a reminder to consider donating your vital organs to those in need. Perhaps you’re among the 72 percent of Indiana drivers who have made arrangements to donate.

If you’ve already signed up, then consider passing along your good choice to a friend or relative. There’s no better time than now during Donate Life Month.

Every 12 minutes, a man, woman or child is added to the transplant waiting list. An average of 17 people die each day while seeking a transplant.

Nationally, 101,000 people are on lists. In Indiana, there are more than 1,000 including 933 people awaiting a kidney, 33 for a heart, 63 for a lung and 57 for a liver. Others need a pancreas, intestine or a combination.

Your friend or relative may someday be on the list.

A recent state list of 1,148 seeking transplants showed most wait more than six months to receive their organ. Over 100 have waited more than three years.

We all may someday be on the list.

Recent trends have shown, in Madison County, that residents are more willing to give a cornea, eye or tissue instead of a major organ. And a decrease in state traffic fatalities, coupled with the expansion of emergency medical services, has reduced the number of potential donors.

As the trends change, so can the mind-set of those who have never considered donating an organ. Do it now so loved ones don’t have to make a hard decision when you pass away.

If you can’t convince a friend, offer to sit with them as they sign up. Donating is free and easy. To register, donors can go to donatelifeindiana.org or contact the Indiana Organ Procurement Organization at 888-ASK-IOPO. Of course, Hoosiers can sign up through the driver license procedures.

Tell your relatives that you’re registered. It’s the kind of message that gets passed down to other generations.

We all have something to give.

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