MA Legislators Celebrate Donate Life Month
Senator Patricia Jehlen attends organ donation awareness event at State House
Senator Jehlen with Mathew Boger of the New England Organ Bank. Courtesy photo.
In recognition of Donate Life Month in Massachusetts, Senator Pat Jehlen attended Donate Life Day at the State House to help encourage organ and tissue donation in the Commonwealth. The event highlighted the organ donation effort in Massachusetts including implementation of the online registry at the Registry of Motor Vehicles website where drivers can easily elect to register as organ donors. Currently, 99% of organ donors register through the RMV and the new system is generating many new donors.
“Organ donations save lives,†Senator Jehlen said. “Today was an excellent opportunity to bring awareness to organ and tissue donation and hopefully, to encourage a few more people to become donors.â€
Senator Jehlen joined many state leaders at the event to encourage State House staff and visitors to become organ and tissue donors. The event was hosted by Donate Life New England, along with Senators Katherine Clark, Susan Fargo, and Karen Spilka who have been strong advocates on behalf of organ donation.
Recently, Governor Deval Patrick issued a proclamation declaring April as Donate Life Month in Massachusetts. He stated Massachusetts’ goal of registering 50% of our driving population as donors through the Registry of Motor Vehicles.
Currently, there are more than 110,000 Americans and more than 2,900 Massachusetts residents waiting for a life-saving organ transplant. Last year, 218 Massachusetts patients died waiting for one of these transplants.
Over the past year, the lives of more than 240 New Englanders were saved because individuals registered as organ donors on their state driver’s license or online through the Donate Life New England registry. In addition, the lives of 25,000 in this region were enhanced by tissue donations from registered tissue donors.
About New England Organ Bank
New England Organ Bank is the federally-designated, non-profit procurement organization responsible for the surgical recovery of organs and tissues for transplant throughout the New England region.
About Donate Life New England
Donate Life New England is a joint project of two federally designated organ procurement organizations that serve New England – LifeChoice Donor Services and New England Organ Bank. They have come together to create a fast and easy way for citizens of New England to register as organ and tissue donors in a secure and confidential manner. For more information, visit www.donatelifenewengland.org.
– Information from State Senator Pat Jehlen (D-Somerville, Medford)