Give The Gift Of Life -

Become An Organ Donor

WEST HARTFORD — As part of its annual Holiday Resolution Campaign, the National Kidney Foundation of Connecticut is encouraging all Americans to donate life by signing an organ donor card and discussing their wishes with family members.

“The holiday seasons is about giving and spending time with family. It’s also a perfect time to discuss organ and tissue donation, since family consent is needed at the time of donation,” says Kim Hathaway, executive director of the Connecticut affiliate. “Making a decision to donate life is a generous, selfless act, which reflects the true spirit of the season.”

More than 70,000 Americans are currently awaiting life-saving organ transplants. Nearly 10 percent of the waiting list represents young people under 18 years of age. Every day, 16 to 17 of these people die while waiting for a vital organ.

“In Connecticut alone, more than 1,000 people are waiting for a life-saving transplant,” explains Ms Hathaway. “If more people donated organs, those in need would spend less time on the waiting list and more lives would be saved.”

An estimated 10,000-14,000 people of the people who die each year meet the criteria for organ donation. Less than half of them become actual organ donors.

The National Kidney Foundation of Connecticut is dedicated to increasing the number of organs available for transplantation and enhancing lives of donor families and transplant recipients. For more information and a free organ donor card, call the National Kidney Foundation of Connecticut at 860/232-6054.