National Donor Day

Today is National Donor Day! Yes, I know it is Valentine's Day as well and hopefully everyone is having a great one. You girls are getting all the gifts you want from your men and guys.....hopefully you will get whatever you are waiting for from your girl. For just a few minutes though, I want to shift your focus to something that is important to me, organ donation.

On this day that is characterized, thanks to Hallmark, as the day that we show our love to those around us, remember there are some out there who will lose a loved one because of a shortage of donated organs. I am not writing this to change anyone's mind about organ donation, I just want everyone to have some facts about the process.

- Almost 100,000 men, women and children currently need life-saving organ transplants.

- Every 12 minutes another name is added to the national organ transplant waiting list.

- In 2005, there were 7,593 deceased organ donors and 6,895 living organ donors resulting in 28,108 organ transplants.

- An average of 18 people die each day from the lack of available organs for transplant.

- 90% of Americans say they support donation, but only 30% know the essential steps to take to be a donor.

I encourage you to evaluate your stance on organ donation today. If you choose to become an organ donor, know the steps to make sure your organs are donated. You can find out your state's requirements by going here. If you live in Georgia, you can become a donor by marking the option on your license and by signing a donor card. In Georgia, your family is ultimately the people who decide if you will become an organ donor. Be sure to let them know your wishes concerning organ donation upon your death.

This being National Donor Day, I want to encourage everyone to donate blood and bone marrow, as well as their organs and tissue. 60% of people are eligible to donate blood, but only 5% of the population actually donates!