Friday is not only Valentine’s Day but also National Donor Day, which serves as a reminder to discuss with your loved ones the life-saving possibilities of organ and tissue donation.
Jennifer Besecker, Circuit Court Clerk in Daviess County, said “We hope everyone will use National Donor Day as a time to discuss organ and tissue donation with those closest to you. Together, through spreading the word and educating others about donation, we can take small steps each day toward saving more lives.”
In Kentucky, one can join the Kentucky Donor Registry at the Circuit Court Clerk’s offices in each of Kentucky’s 120 counties or online at www.donatelifeky where one can learn about the Kentucky Circuit Court Clerks’ Trust for Life, Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates, and the Kentucky Lions Eye Bank.
The need for organ and tissue donation is ongoing. Currently, in the United States, there are more than 113,000 people awaiting a life-saving transplant, with nearly 1,000 of those people living in Kentucky. Each day, 22 people die while awaiting a transplant.
As an observance, National Donor Day was started in 1998 by the Saturn Corporation and its United Auto Workers partners, with the support of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and many nonprofit health organizations.
National Donor Day is a time to focus on all types of donation that can help others including blood donations. Also, it is a wonderful time to think about those people who have given the gift of donation, have received a donation, are currently waiting on a transplant or did not receive an organ in time.
“Valentine’s Day (and every day) is the perfect day to register as an organ and tissue donor,” said Besecker. “Joining one’s state donor registry is a commitment to saving and healing lives. Sometimes starting the conversation can be difficult but National Donor Day is an annual observance that can help. Joining the donor registry is an amazing opportunity to give someone else a second chance at life through donation.”
The financial donations at Circuit Court Clerks’ Driver’s License counters and other philanthropic partners, including KODA and Kosair Charities, fund the statewide community outreach and public relations efforts to grow the Registry. Kentucky was recently recognized by Donate Life America for major increases in Registry rates.
For more information, call 1-866-945-5433, email [email protected] or visit www.trustforlife.org. To join the Kentucky Donor Registry online as a potential organ and tissue donor, go to www.donatelifeky.org.
