The meeting man Palmesano emphasizes the importance of organ donation all year round

Let us work together to save life …

Pillar of MP Phil Palmesano (R, Corning)

When April comes to an end, it is important to remember its meaning as a “national donation life month”. Since I stepped onto the ground of the meeting for the first time in 2011, it has been a very personal problem for me to raise awareness of organ donation and one of my best legislative priorities. The numbers have gradually improved over the years, and this year we have reached over 50% for enrollment in New York, but we still have so much to do. One of the most important statistics that I share regularly is that a person Who donates at the time of their death Eight lives and influence the life of 75 others.

According to Life New York, our state is 47^TH Out of 52 states and territories in the entire organ donation record. We have a registration rate of 51%, while the national average is 64%. As a state, we have the third largest need for organs, but the sixth largest registration rate.

Almost 8,000 New Yorkers are on the waiting list for a transplant, and 1,000 of these people have been waiting for more than five years. Tragically, almost 400 New Yorkers died last year, while they were waiting for a life -saving organ transplant. We can and must do it better!

These numbers have improved, but as already mentioned, we have to do better. We have taken helpful measures to make it easier to register in order to become organ donors in the state of New York. I think the more we ask the question: “Will you register and help yourself as organ donors to save lives?” The more New Yorkers will say “yes”. One of the successful steps that we have taken over the years was the adoption of “Lauren's Law”, which I was proud of enabling the co-sponsor that did not allow the state to work on a license application until the individuals either answered “yes” or “this question”, whether they want to register as an organ donor. In addition to this important legislation that increased organ donor prices, we have also passed laws so that 16- and 17-year-olds can register their intention to become organ donors, as well as a new online donor registration with which individuals can officially register in order to become organ donors.

One of my proudest moments was as a father when my daughter Leah and son Sam came home with their first driving permits and the cards said they were organ donors. As I already mentioned, this is a deeply personal problem for me. I saw first -hand how organ donation can affect the quality of life of a family. You see my sister Teresa was a youthful diabetic, and this disease requested her body and organs all over her life. Teresa was a two -time organ transplant recipient. At first I had the privilege from the goodness of a stranger in 2000 and secondly to donate my sister a kidney in 2006. Unfortunately, Teresa died in 2013 at the age of 50. Despite Teresa's death in such a young age, I still told people that she was a happy one. She received two transplants. Many people never get one. I never knew how bad the numbers were in New York until I was chosen in 2010 and saw how bad they really were. These statistics were certainly an eye opening and motivated me to do more to promote education and awareness of this life -saving topic. As I said, Teresa was lucky enough to preserve two transplants. Unfortunately, too many people die while waiting for this life -changing organ transplant. When we work together, we can further improve these numbers and help to save lives. And please remember: “One person can really do something” because it is currently a person Who donates at the time of their death Eight lives and influence the life of 75 others.

So yes, April is “national donation month”, but I ask you to talk about this problem all year round, not only in April. We all have the opportunity to save a person's lives on a certain day of the year. If you have already registered as an organ donor, thank you. If you don't have this, please speak to your family and take it into account. If you want to become an organ donor today, visit your office in your office of local motor vehicles (DMV) or register today with donations in life in New York: Thank you and let us work together to save lives.

MP Palmesano represents the 132^nd District, which also includes Schuyler County, Yates County and parts of the Seneca and Steuben County district. You can find more information about Palmesano, MPs Facebook.