Donate Life

Many of you are aware of my husband's struggle to get a kidney transplant, that he, ultimately never got. Rory waited from August 3, 1995 until his death on July 28, 2004. Even before Rory needed a transplant, both he and I were advocates of altruistic donation. Many of us have that little pink "Donor" sticker on our licenses, but until recently, you had to make sure that 2 people would speak for you if you ever were to become a donor (basically, if you were brain-dead, but your organs were harvestable).

Now, you can go to https://www.donatelifecalifornia.org/register/ and sign up. You will be assigned a unique ID, and be given the opportunity to print a card with this ID number on it. This is a way for you to make the Organ Procurement Organizations (OPO's) in California aware of your wishes, and gives them permission to harvest your organs if you are declared brain-dead. This overrides the complication of having 2 people authorize your donation.

I urge all of you in California that wish to be organ donors to please go to that site, and sign up. I feel even more strongly than ever that we should all be able to help others have life in the event of our own untimely death. You can always revoke or modify your permission by using your ID code on their website.

And, yes, just in case, tell two people close to you that you know will express your wishes (either for or against) your wishes. And print the card! Put it in your wallet!