What starts as a simple checkmark at the DMV can be one of the most selfless decisions you ever make.
With just that check, you can choose to provide a lifesaving gift to someone in need after your death. Thousands are awaiting an organ transplant, yet just 58 percent of Americans are listed as organ donors, according to the Health Resources & Services Administration. By registering to become an organ donor, you may one day provide a lifesaving transplant to someone in need.
Read on to learn some of the important reasons many people choose to register as organ donors.
You’ll Create a Legacy of Living
Choosing to become an organ donor is an altruistic decision. Many people who have decided to become donors want to help others and create a legacy of living in the wake of their death. Through donation, donors can give the gift of life to those in need.
There are 113,000 Americans currently awaiting transplant, and many have been seeking a donor for years. Your choice has the potential to take recipients off the waiting list and give them another chance at life.
You Could Save Dozens of Lives
Twenty-two people die each day as they wait for an organ transplant. Many of these deaths are preventable and are due to a nationwide lack of donors.
A single donor can provide life-saving organs to eight people awaiting transplant or impact the lives of up to 75 others through tissue donation. Those potential recipients are more than just a number. They are mothers, fathers, siblings, or friends who may now continue their lives because of the generous gift of organ donation.
You’ll Still Receive the Care You Need
There are many misconceptions associated with organ donation. One is that medical staff will not resuscitate an individual who is a registered organ donor.
Be assured that when you go to the hospital — even during an emergency — doctors, nurses, and support staff focus on saving your life by providing expert medical care and lifesaving procedures. Your donor registration status does not affect your care.
After you’ve made the decision to register to become an organ donor, make sure friends and family are aware and understand why. Talking about death with loved ones is never easy. But organ donation allows an individual to provide life to others even after his or her passing.
To one day give the gift of life, register to become an organ, eye, and tissue donor at UPMC.com/DonateLife.
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on , and was last reviewed on .