Ohio's House District 11 & Organ Donation
Top 3 Donation Takeaways
- Only 1% of all deaths in the United States happen in a manner where organ donation is a potential.
- Over the age of 18, if someone is registered, it is a legally-binding decision. Next-of-kin can overrule the donation decision of someone registered under the age of 18.
- Doctors do everything they can to save the person before them. Only after death has been declared does the potential for donation come forth.
Honoring Donation in 2022
While the need for registered donors is great, we do want to pause to thank the heroic donors in 2022 who saved and healed thousands of lives!
Columbus Man Waits for a Heart
Jermayne Harris of Columbus has always been active. As a teenager, he ran track and was proud to quarterback his high school football team. However, at 26 years old he contracted a virus that severely damaged his heart.
Although he manages a food truck with his father and recently got married, Jermayne’s activities are limited by the left ventricular assist device (LVAD) he’s connected to 24/7 that keeps his heart pumping while he waits for a transplant.
He has been on the national transplant waiting list for more than two years at The Cleveland Clinic – waiting for a second chance at life through the gift of organ donation.
Read more about Jermayne’s wait for a new heart.
Items of Note About Donation
District 11 Donor Registration Rates
57.7% of Franklin County citizens are registered donors. This is above the national average of 50% registered donors and near the state’s average of 60%.
Donation Statistics
- The national transplant waiting list for a lifesaving organ transplant is rising at an alarming rate, with more than 104,000 individuals currently on the list.
- In Ohio, more than 2,600 people are waiting for an organ transplant, and thousands more are waiting for tissue and corneal transplants.
- Approximately 20 times each day a man, woman or child dies for lack of an available organ. Once every 48 hours, an Ohioan dies waiting.
A New Way to Register Donors in 2023!
Beginning October 1, 2022, Ohioans can now register to be an organ, eye and tissue donor when they renew their vehicle registration at the BMV!
HB21 instructs the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to ask the donation registration questions with all new and renewed licenses or registrations. The bill also increases the amount license-seekers are asked to voluntarily donate to the Second Chance Trust Fund from $1 to $2. And it increases the annual contribution for the “Donate Life” license plate from $5 to $15.
Who is Lifeline of Ohio?
Lifeline of Ohio is an independent, non-profit organization that promotes and coordinates the donation of human organs and tissue for transplantation. Lifeline of Ohio serves 97 hospitals and facilities in 38 counties in Ohio and two in West Virginia and is designated as an organ procurement organization through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
How Does An Ohioan Register As A Donor?
Ohioans may declare their decision to become a donor by registering at the BMV or online.
The Ohio Donor Registry is an individual’s first-person authorization to donate the gift of life at the time of their death, if possible, through organ, eye and tissue donation.
Lifeline of Ohio encourages everyone to talk to their loved ones about their donation decision. When the next-of-kin knows their loved one’s decision at the time of death, it is one of the most helpful steps a grieving family can take to deal with its loss.
Resources from the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations
Ohio Heart Recipient Advocates on Capitol Hill
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine Encourages Ohioans to Register
Donor parents Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and First Lady Fran DeWine share this very special message encouraging all Ohioans to register their decision to be an organ, eye and tissue donor. Their daughter Becky was a tissue and cornea donor who healed many through her gifts of donation.