Many of us want to be remembered not only for the person we were, and who we loved, but for the good deeds we’ve done for others. And today, through organ and tissue donation, it’s possible to do very good things for total strangers.
Without a doubt, there are many opportunities to give of oneself after death. According to the Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation, more than 114,000 people are waiting for organ transplants in the United States. Sadly, in 2011, a total of 6,669 patients died while waiting for organ transplants. On average, 18 people died each day because of the shortage of donated organs.
The Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation is not only at the core of organ transplantation, but also at the core of a growing phenomenon: tissue transplantation. Fast becoming a routine part of patient care in virtually every hospital and in many doctor's offices across the country, tissue transplantation could not occur without the kind and charitable donations of others.
“These tissue transplants often save limbs from being amputated,” shares the website The Gift of a Lifetime,“and give sight to the blind. They also allow recipients to walk without pain, lift up a young child, or perform other routine activities that most people take for granted.”
If becoming an organ and tissue donor appeals to you, or to a loved one; please call us at 212-473-2220. We will be delighted to explore existing organ donation options, and will do our best to answer any questions or address any concerns you may have about organ and tissue donation.
The way most people sign up to become organ donors is to indicate their willingness when they sign up for or renew their driver’s license. You can do this in person at a DMV location or by creating an account online at MyDMV: https://dmv.ny.gov/mydmv/mydmv.
Another way to register is when you complete your voter registration. You can find information on voter registration in New York here: http://www.elections.ny.gov/votingregister.html
If you just want to sign up to be an organ donor and don’t need to renew your driver’s license or register to vote, you can sign up at the New York Donate Life Registry, which you can access here: https://donatelife.ny.gov/register/.