The related story
Your story about Kathleen Woith highlighted the tragic shortage of human organs for transplant operations.
Over half of the 92,000 Americans on the national transplant waiting list will die before they get a transplant. Most of these deaths are needless. Americans bury or cremate about 20,000 transplantable organs every year. Over 6,000 of our neighbors suffer and die needlessly every year as a result.
There is a simple solution to the organ shortage -- give organs first to people who have agreed to donate their own organs when they die.
Giving organs first to organ donors will convince more people to register as organ donors. It will also make the organ allocation system fairer. About 60% of the organs transplanted in the United States go to people who haven't agreed to donate their own organs when they die. People who aren't willing to share the gift of life should go to the back of the waiting list as long as there is a shortage of organs.
Anyone who wants to donate their organs to others who have agreed to donate theirs can join LifeSharers. LifeSharers is a non-profit network of organ donors who agree to offer their organs first to other organ donors when they die. They do this through a form of directed donation that is legal in all 50 states and under federal law. Anyone can join for free at www.lifesharers.org or by calling 1-888-ORGAN88. LifeSharers has 4,512 members, including 109 members in New Jersey. Over 400 of our members are minor children enrolled by their parents.
Please contact me if your readers would like to learn more about our innovative approach to increasing the number of organ donors. I can arrange interviews with some of our local members if you're interested.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you.
David J. Undis
Executive Director
LifeSharers
www.lifesharers.org
6509 Cornwall Drive
Nashville, TN 37205
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Greater Paramus News and Lifestyle Magazine
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