Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security Driver Service Center employees across the state will begin sporting special blue “Donate Life” tee shirts each Friday throughout the summer to encourage customers to register for organ donation. This program is sponsored by Donate Life Tennessee.
Tennesseans can register to become an organ donor by simply Checking YES when applying for, or renewing their driver’s license. A red heart is placed on the driver license, signifying them as an organ donor.
As of June 1, over 1.7 million (1,725,718) Tennesseans have signed up through the department’s Driver Service Centers or the online Donate Life Tennessee Registry. On average nearly 3,500 people are added each week.
“Our partnership with Donate Life Tennessee has increased public awareness of organ donation and urged many to take action,” Commissioner Bill Gibbons said. “We are proud to have been able to make a difference in the lives of hundreds of Tennesseans waiting for life-saving transplants. Fortunately, the registration process is simple; checking “YES!” on your driver license application or renewal can potentially save someone’s life.”
The generosity of donors and their families make the gift of organ and tissue donation possible. Over 114,000 people across the country, 2,419 in Tennessee, are waiting for the call that may save their lives. Last year, 28,535 people received life-saving transplants, with 789 of those being in Tennessee. Additionally, over 800,000 lives are impacted every year with tissue and eye donation in the United States.
Tennesseans can register their consent for donation at any state Driver Service Center, or with Donate Life Tennessee at www.tndonorregistry.org.
No comments:
Post a Comment