LIFEGIFT URGES TEXANS TO SAY "YES" TO ORGAN AND TISSUE DONATION

Demand for organ donors on the rise as more Texans added to waiting list

HOUSTON, TX - The demand for transplantable organs continues to outweigh the supply as nearly 11,000 men, women and children across Texas wait for lifesaving transplants.

“During the month of April, which is National Donate Life Month, we honor those who made the generous decision to donate, providing others with the precious gift of life,” said Sam Holtzman, president and CEO of LifeGift, the local organ and tissue recovery agency. “As the transplant waiting list continues to grow, more Texans need to step up and show their support for donation by registering as organ and tissue donors. Organ and tissue donation saves lives … it’s just that simple.”

Named for a kidney recipient and Texas legislator, the Glenda P. Dawson Donate Life – Texas Registry is the official database of Texans who consent to be organ and tissue donors upon their deaths. It is free to register and one organ/tissue donor has the potential to save 80 lives.

In existence for almost five years, the registry gives Texans the opportunity to say “yes” to donation and help others one day in the future. There are three ways to register:

· Electronically via www.donatelifetexas.org or its companion site, www.donevida.org;

· In person at the Department of Public Safety (DPS) or on the DPS website;

· Online with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) when renewing vehicle registration.

The red donor sticker, which once appeared on Texas driver’s licenses, is now obsolete. The sticker indicated a person’s intent, while registering on the Donate Life Texas Registry provides one’s consent and is legally-binding.

There are more than 110,000 people in the United States waiting for a lifesaving transplant. On average,18 people die of organ failure due to the lack of available organs for transplant and approximately 138 people are added to the nation’s organ transplant waiting list daily.

For more information about LifeGift, visit www.lifegift.org. For more information about how to register as an organ and tissue donor, visit www.donatelifetexas.org.