More than 6,000 Pennsylvanians are currently on the state’s transplant waiting list, and far too many die each year waiting for a match.
As of recently four months ago, a Lower Bucks Source follower’s daughter, Aubriella, is still searching for a donor before going onto the waiting list and another Lower Bucks Source follower’s husband, Steven, close to a year ago received a liver transplant in which he is doing well. Either way, trying for living donor if applicable or being on the transplant list, donors are needed to prolong, create a healthy life and allowing for memories to be created which may have never happened if not for donors wanting to help.
PA Donor Day is now recognized as the first day of August -8/1- . a date symbolizing that eight lives can be saved by one donor.
The Pennsylvania Departments of Health and Transportation joined health care leaders, organ donation organizations, and families impacted by organ donation at UPMC West Shore to celebrate PA Donor Day and encourage more Pennsylvanians to register as organ donors.
“As a practicing pediatrician, I saw firsthand the life-changing impact of organ donation,” said Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen. “Children and families were given a new lease on life thanks to the selfless action of someone they often never met. We need more Pennsylvanians to sign up and help save lives.”
One organ and tissue donor can save up to eight lives through organ donation and enhance the lives of up to 75 others through tissue donation — aiding patients recovering from spinal injuries, burns, vision loss, and more.
Credit: PACAST
“Only about half of eligible individuals are registered as donors,” said Dr. Manish Gupta, surgical director of UPMC Central Pa.’s Kidney Transplant Program. “We believe that gap is largely due to a lack of information. Thanks to advancements in technology, organ donation is safer and more accessible than ever — and events like this help inspire people to take action.”
Currently, about five million Pennsylvanians are registered organ donors — roughly half of driver’s license and state ID holders. But increasing that number is key to saving more lives.
As part of the Commonwealth’s efforts to expand awareness, the Shapiro Administration partners with the Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13 to lead the Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Project, which helps secondary students consider the critical issues surrounding organ and tissue donation and empowers them to make informed decisions when applying for a driver’s license.
“Choosing to become an organ donor can save or dramatically improve someone’s life,” said PennDOT Executive Deputy Secretary Larry Shifflet. “And you don’t have to wait until you renew your license — you can register at any time.”
Credit: PACAST
Signing up is fast, free, and easy:
• Residents can register when visiting any PennDOT Photo License or Driver License Center.
• Those under 18 must have a parent or guardian’s consent.
• There is no additional fee to add the “Organ Donor” designation to a license or ID.
• Pennsylvanians can also register online — a process that takes less than 90 seconds.
“The shortage of registered organ donors is a public health crisis — but it’s one we can all help solve,” said Richard D. Hasz, Jr., President and CEO of the Gift of Life Donor Program. “On PA Donor Day, we ask Pennsylvanians to join us in expanding the donor registry. By registering, individuals can offer hope — and the gift of life — to thousands waiting.”
“PA Donor Day is a special opportunity to come together in kindness and compassion,” said Susan Stuart, President and CEO of Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE). “Encouraging our family, friends, and neighbors to learn more and sign up as donors gives hope to those who need it most — and honors the incredible generosity of donor families across the Commonwealth.”
Pennsylvanians can click here or on PennDOT’s online services page to learn more and register to become organ donors.
Click here to see video from the news conference at UPMC West Shore.
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