Department of Safety & Homeland Security, Donate Life Partner to Promote Organ Donation
Thursday, June 07, 2012 | 10:07am
NASHVILLE --- Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security Driver Service Center employees across the state will begin sporting special blue “Donate Life” tee shirts each Friday throughout the summer to encourage customers to register for organ donation. This program is sponsored by Donate Life Tennessee.
Tennesseans can register to become an organ donor by simply Checking YES when applying for, or renewing their driver’s license. A red heart is placed on the driver license, signifying them as an organ donor.
As of June 1, over 1.7 million (1,725,718) Tennesseans have signed up through the department’s Driver Service Centers or the online Donate Life Tennessee Registry. On average nearly 3,500 people are added each week.
“Our partnership with Donate Life Tennessee has increased public awareness of organ donation and urged many to take action,” Commissioner Bill Gibbons said. “We are proud to have been able to make a difference in the lives of hundreds of Tennesseans waiting for life-saving transplants. Fortunately, the registration process is simple; checking “YES!” on your driver license application or renewal can potentially save someone’s life.”
The generosity of donors and their families make the gift of organ and tissue donation possible. Over 114,000 people across the country, 2,419 in Tennessee, are waiting for the call that may save their lives. Last year, 28,535 people received life-saving transplants, with 789 of those being in Tennessee. Additionally, over 800,000 lives are impacted every year with tissue and eye donation in the United States.
Tennesseans can register their consent for donation at any state Driver Service Center, or with Donate Life Tennessee at www.tndonorregistry.org.
Donate Life Tennessee is a non‐profit, state‐authorized organ and tissue donor registry, administered by the state’s two organ procurement organizations (OPO), responsible for facilitating the donation process in Tennessee: Tennessee Donor Services and Mid‐South Transplant Foundation. The Donate Life Registry assures that all personal information is kept confidential and stored in a secure database, accessible only to authorized OPO personnel.
The Tennessee Department of Safety’s (www.TN.Gov/safety) mission is to ensure the safety and general welfare of the public. The department encompasses the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Office of Homeland Security and Driver License Services. General areas of responsibility include law enforcement, safety education, motorist services and terrorism prevention.