Mt. Morris– State Rep. Richard E. Hammel (D-Mt. Morris) encourages others to join the Michigan Organ Donor Registry and possibly save a life. Hammel will visit the Secretary of State branch office located at 11960 N. Saginaw St., on Thursday, April 12 at 9:30 a.m. to sign up for the registry as part of Michigan's Buddy Week.
Buddy Week is a statewide effort to promote enrolling in the registry and spread awareness about organ donation.
"I know firsthand the lifesaving impact of organ donation," said Hammel. "My mom is able to be with us today because of the kidney donation she received. This is a cause that is important to my family and close to my heart."
Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land, in cooperation with the Michigan Gift of Life and the Michigan Eye-Bank, organized Buddy Week as a way to highlight the need for more organ donors and increase the number of people on the registry.
In 2006, almost 600 Michigan residents received a life-saving organ transplant. But that number is dwarfed by the more than 3,000 residents who await one.
Hammel said signing up for the registry takes just a few moments online at the Secretary of State's Web site or at a branch office. The site also features information about donation myths, the particular need for donors who are racial minorities, and links to state and federal donor advocates.
People who sign up will receive an organ donor heart logo sticker from the Secretary of State's Office to put on their driver's license. The sticker allows emergency room personnel to quickly see if a person is registered as a donor.
For more information on the organ donation registry, visit the Secretary of State's Web site or Gift of Life Michigan's site.