The Need

The need is real. The need is urgent. In Ohio alone, over 3,000 people are waiting for a transplant at any given time. And yet, just over half of Ohioans have registered to become an organ, eye and tissue donor at the time of their death. This means that one Ohioan dies every other day waiting for a life-saving transplant, and hundreds more are in need of eye and tissue donations to improve their quality of life.

You might ask yourself: How does that affect me? Through organ, eye and tissue donation every day citizens, just like you, have a chance to make a difference. To be a life saver. To be a Hero. By joining the Ohio Donor Registry and agreeing to become an organ, eye and tissue donor when you obtain or renew your driver license or state identification card, you can save eight lives, and enhance the quality of life for up to 50 others through eye and tissue donation! You can place your name in the Registry today by signing up online, or downloading an enrollment form and mailing it into the BMV Records Request Unit.

The need for donation is critical. Thousands of Ohioans can be helped each year through the anatomical gifts of organs, eyes and tissues.

• Nationally, 18 people will die each day waiting for an organ. In Ohio, 195 people died while waiting for an organ transplant in 2007.
• On any given day, over 3,000 Ohioans are waiting for an organ transplant, with 78 percent waiting for a kidney transplant due to end-stage kidney disease.
• Hundreds of additional Ohioans are in need of cornea and tissue transplants.
• Each year more than 1,600 Ohioans could have their sight restored through cornea transplants, and thousands more could benefit from tissue transplants, including, skin, bone, tendons, ligaments, vessels, heart valves, nerves and middle ear bones.
• By joining the Ohio Donor Registry you make the choice to help. To be someone's Hero.

Multi-Cultural

Nationally, African-Americans and other minorities make up about 20 percent of the population, but 54 percent of the waiting list for organ transplants is composed of minorities.

Illnesses like high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease are very common in minority communities.  These conditions can sometimes lead to the need for an organ transplant.  Believe it or not, many people have never thought about the lifesaving role they could play by becoming an organ, eye and tissue donor even though the need in their community is great.

You can give hope to thousands of men, women and children waiting for a life-changing organ, tissue or cornea transplant by simply joining the Ohio Donor Registry today.

Don't let another chair go empty.  Do It Now!