April is Donate Life Month

Currently more than 18,000 Californians are waiting for a life-saving organ transplant.

Tragically, one-third of the persons now waiting for a donation will die – due to the critical shortage of organ donors. In response to this need, the Donate Life California Registry was created. At this time, the registry is accessible online via Internet for those wanting to sign up to be a donor. The Donate Life California Registry is seeking to make this tool as accessible as possible for all Californians, and is actively letting the public know about the registry website: www.donatelifecalifornia.org and www.donevidacalifornia.org (Spanish).

Historically, while signing a donor card and placing a pink “donor dot” on a driver´s license has served as an important symbol of one´s intent to donate organs and/or tissues, it does not record one´s wishes on an actual list or registry. When launched in April 2005, California will join 36 other states in allowing its residents for the first time to officially register their commitments to become organ and/or tissue donors.

“A successful donor registry will positively impact California and the nation as a whole – saving lives and greatly cutting the cost of caring for people with end stage organ failure. The Department of Health Services encourages all staff interested in organ donation to visit the website and register, and to share information on the Registry with others. It´s about giving life.