PUTNAM COUNTY, N.Y. — County Clerk Michael Bartolotti and County Executive Kevin Byrne will partner with Donate Life NYS and LiveOnNY during Donate Life Month to increase enrollment in the New York State Donate Life Registry, an April 2 press release said.
Each April, Donate Life Month is observed to raise public awareness of the critical need for organ, eye and tissue donation, as nearly 8,000 New Yorkers currently wait for transplants. Bartolotti said in the release that it’s a time to “encourage residents to become an organ or tissue donor.”
According to the release, of the more than 19 million New Yorkers, 51.2 percent of adults across the state are registered donors. The national average is more than 66 percent.
“While we are extremely proud that 60.8 percent of Putnam County residents are registered donors, we believe we can do better.”
Throughout the month, the Putnam County DMV office in Brewster will encourage New Yorkers to learn about organ, eye and tissue donation and its impact. “NYS DMV has now made it even easier for customers to enroll by utilizing the customer facing devices during various transactions,” the release said.
Bartolotti believes that filling the office with promotional items will help New Yorkers and county residents understand the difference the choice makes. According to the release, the NYS Donate Life Registry is one way to ensure that a person’s wishes about organ donation will be known at the time of their death.
“500 New Yorkers die every year due to lack of available organs,” Bryne said. “We can significantly expand the number of eligible donors through better outreach to residents.”
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here