TTL News 308 Posted April 17, 2021 New Yorkers are being urged to consider becoming organ and tissue donors by joining the NYS Donate Life Registry as nearly 9,000 New Yorkers await a lifesaving transplant. In recognition of Donate Life Blue and Green Day on Friday, April 16, landmarks across the state will be lit blue and green. "Each life is precious, and while the COVID-19 pandemic has led to unimaginable loss, it has also displayed the kindness and generosity of New Yorkers who took action to save lives," Governor Andrew Cuomo said. "Becoming an organ and tissue donor is not only a display of kindness, but saves lives and gives people waiting for a transplant a renewed chance at life. We're recognizing Donate Life Month and particularly Blue and Green Day to stand in solidarity with the thousands of New Yorkers still waiting for an organ transplant." The landmarks being lit include: Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge Kosciuszko Bridge H. Carl McCall SUNY Building New York State Education Department Building Alfred E. Smith State Office Building New York State Fairgrounds - Main Gate and Exposition Center Niagara Falls Albany International Airport Gateway Grand Central Terminal - Pershing Square Viaduct New Yorkers can raise awareness and motivate others to register as organ donors by wearing blue and green on April 16 and using the hashtags #BlueGreenDay and #DonateLifeMonth and on their social media platforms. In the spirit of the day, NYS DMV staff will wear blue and green on Friday. More than 8,700 New Yorkers are among the 107,587 Americans currently awaiting an organ transplant, according to the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. In addition, almost 600 New Yorkers died last year because the organ they needed was not available in time, according to the OPTN. Nationally, 17 people die each day while awaiting a match for a transplant, according to the federal Health Resources and Services Administration. A person is added to the wait list every nine minutes, but one donor can save as many as eight lives and heal up to 75 lives through tissue and corneal donation. Any New Yorker age 16 and older is eligible to enroll in the Registry. Currently, 43 percent of eligible New York State residents have enrolled to be organ donors through the Registry. New Yorkers can enroll in the NYS Donate Life Registry through the following online options: The NYS Donate Life Registry website - www.donatelife.ny.gov The NYS Department of Motor Vehicles website - dmv.ny.gov Under "Lauren's Law," DMV customers can also continue to register as organ donors by completing the donation section of their driver's license or non-driver ID renewal application. The law is named for Lauren Shields, a Rockland County resident who received a life-saving heart transplant at nine years of age. New Yorkers registering to vote can join the Registry by completing that section of the voter registration form or online form at https://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSBOE/download/voting/voteregform-eng-fillable.pdf. New Yorkers seeking health insurance through the NY State of Health Insurance Marketplace can enroll in the Registry as well. DMV also offers a Donate Life custom license plate to raise awareness and support critical research. When a consumer orders the plate, $20 of the annual fee is directed to the "Life Pass It On Trust Fund," which is used for organ donation and transplant research and educational programs promoting organ and tissue donation. Plates can be ordered on the DMV website at https://dmv.ny.gov/plates/life-pass-it. Starting in 2020, the Life Pass It On Trust Fund was added to the charitable causes that New Yorkers can contribute to when filing their personal income taxes. The money in this fund is used to support donation and transplant related education and research as well as operation of the NYS Donate Life Registry. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin 334 Posted April 17, 2021 Been one since I was in high school. Been on my license since they started doing that. Not sure what they would want, but the offer is there. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chris 2,162 Posted April 17, 2021 For some reason I resisted this and then I saw something in TV that resonated with me enough to do it. I intend to be cremated so if someone can use me for spare parts first, have at it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KarenK 383 Posted April 17, 2021 I am an organ donor on my license and have been since forever however when a good friend had Leukemia and needed a transplant I went to the donor page and apparently they don't want organs from someone with chronic autoimmune issues. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MsKreed 1,181 Posted April 17, 2021 18 minutes ago, KarenK said: I am an organ donor on my license and have been since forever however when a good friend had Leukemia and needed a transplant I went to the donor page and apparently they don't want organs from someone with chronic autoimmune issues. I did not know this. I'd be interested if there is a list of which organs/tissues are precluded by which conditions, or unilaterally ineligible. Id think bone marrow or liver might carry different transmission/complication risks than cornea possibly. I had thought it was on my license....but it's not there. It's often occurred to me that donating for study might potentially have a broader impact on more people anyway. Transplanting everything could save half a dozen people directly, while the same organs helping discover a cure for XYZ could affect many generations to come. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KarenK 383 Posted April 17, 2021 54 minutes ago, MsKreed said: I did not know this. I'd be interested if there is a list of which organs/tissues are precluded by which conditions, or unilaterally ineligible. Id think bone marrow or liver might carry different transmission/complication risks than cornea possibly. I had thought it was on my license....but it's not there. It's often occurred to me that donating for study might potentially have a broader impact on more people anyway. Transplanting everything could save half a dozen people directly, while the same organs helping discover a cure for XYZ could affect many generations to come. Not sure. This was actually the national donor registry so wasn't specific to her marrow transplant. I believe you can look that up and it does have some of that information on there. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
