By Staff
Decide now to help save someone's life
If you died today without signing an organ donor card, there are 87,000 people who could potentially be cheated out of a second chance at life.
That's how many people are waiting on an organ. Each day, approximately 70 people receive an organ. Unfortunately, 16 people who are waiting for transplants die each day because there is a shortage of donated organs.
Anna Collins, who turns 5 tomorrow, is one of the lucky ones. She received a heart because the parents of a little girl who was terminally injured on a playground cared.
Anyone who is 18 or older may become an organ and tissue donor by indicated his wish to do so on his driver's license or by caring a donor card, downloadable from http://www.organdonor.gov. Medical suitability for donation is determined at the time of death.
Those who wish to become donors should discuss their decision with their family members, as they'll likely be asked to give their consent. Patients on the waiting list are matched to organs based on a number of factors including blood and tissue typing, medical urgency, time on the waiting list, and geographical location. There is no cost to the donor's family.
Make the decision now, and help someone like Anna when you're gone.