Donate Life New England, a joint project of two federally designated organ procurement organizations that serve New England, today announced that individuals can now – for the first time – enroll online in the New England Donor Registry at www.donatelifenewengland.org. The Donate Life New England Donor Registry is a computer database of individuals who have made the decision to be a donor. With today’s launch, the www.donatelifenewengland.org Registry is designed to now be the fastest and easiest way to officially designate oneself as a donor.
There are currently more than 103,000 men, women and children waiting for a lifesaving transplant in the United States, and each registered donor has the potential to save up to seven lives and benefit over 50 others. More than 3,400 of these individuals in need live in New England, but to date, New England’s registered donor rate of 38% is unfortunately below average for the U.S. Every 12 minutes another name is added to the national waiting list and each day 18 people die while they wait for their transplant. There are also hundreds of thousands of Americans who benefit from tissue donation each year, such as corneal tissue for eye surgery, bone used in back surgery and tendons used in knee repair. “The Donate Life New England Registry will make it easier to sign up to be an organ and tissue donor, especially for those who do not have a driver’s license or are between license renewal periods,” said New England Organ Bank President and CEO Richard S. Luskin. “Each donor has the potential to save up to seven lives through organ donation and benefit over 50 others through tissue donation. In addition to offering a fast and secure way to register, the new website offers answers to many questions individuals have about becoming a donor.”