What are the top 10 reasons to become an organ & tissue donor?

What are the top 10 reasons to become an organ & tissue donor?
If you could potentially save a life, would you say “yes”? Saving lives is one of the top reasons to become a registered donor. When you say “yes” to organ, eye, and tissue donation, you can greatly enhance the lives of those in need. Plus, up to 75 lives can be saved and healed by just one donor. Every nine minutes, someone is added to the transplant waiting list. Will you give hope to the 110,000 patients waiting for a life-saving transplant? Here are 10 of the top reasons to become a donor.   

1. Registering is easy: Signing up for the donor registry is fast, easy, and secure. Click this link and input your information. It is the most important thing you can do, and it only takes a minute or two. After joining the registry, we encourage you to share your wishes with your loved ones. 
2. It’s an opportunity to help others: People who are on the waiting list for a transplant typically have a disease that significantly impacts their quality of life and they may be out of other options. Receiving a transplant may be a lifesaving gift. It may also help the donor’s family with their grieving process knowing their loved one helped to save the lives of others. 
3. Everyone is welcome to sign up: There are no restrictions to becoming a  donor. All people, regardless of gender, age, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or religion are welcome to give the gift of life. Those under the age of 18 can sign up on the registry, but a parent or guardian would still have the final say. 
4. You can save more than one life: When you become a donor, you’re not potentially saving just one life. One donor can save up to eight lives, restore sight to two visually impaired people, and heal the lives of more than 75 others with donated tissues.  
5. You’re in good company: According to the Department of Health and Human Services, 95 percent of American adults support donation. However, only 54 percent are actually signed up as registered donors. Now that you know how easy it is to sign up, encourage others to do the same. 
6. The need is great: More than 110,000 men, women, and children are waiting for lifesaving organ transplants. Even the largest football stadium in the US could not fit the number of patients on the national transplant waiting list.   
7. Living donors provide an additional option: A living donor can donate a kidney or a portion of their liver to a friend, family member, or altruistically. Those waiting for a kidney transplant make up more than 85 percent of the people on the waiting list and those willing to donate as a living donor fill a crucial need.
8. Most religions support organ donation: When someone dies, having a spiritual connection or faith can ease the pain of losing a loved one. Knowing that organ, eye, and tissue donation saves the lives of thousands every year can do the same. Did you know that all major religions in the U.S. support donation as a final act of compassion and generosity?
9. You increase the odds of survival for thousands: Every year, the number of those waiting for a lifesaving miracle exceeds the number of available donors and transplants. When you sign up to become a donor, you’re increasing the odds of survival and providing hope to the 110,000 patients waiting.
10. Donors help those in greatest need first: The waiting list is impartial, fair, and based strictly on match, medical criteria, time on the list, and the severity of one’s illness. There are no circumstances where someone can influence their length of time on the waiting list. Those who have the greatest need are always helped first. 

Why you should consider donation
In the past year, the incredible generosity of donors and their families touched the lives of thousands of people in need. During 2020, 815 organs were transplanted through the gifts of 278 generous organ donors in our region, making it a remarkable year for saving lives. Still, there’s more work to be done. Donor families and transplant patients need your support. By registering as an organ or tissue donor, you can bring hope to patients and families who are holding out for a miracle. Sign up for the donor registry and increase the chance that patients waiting will get the transplants they need and get the chance to witness the benefits of organ donation first-hand.