Local BMV honored for organ donation rates

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The Fayette County License Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) Deputy Registrar in Washington C.H. received an award for organ donation rates from Lifeline of Ohio on Wednesday.

The “Organ, Tissue and Eye Front Line Award” recognized the Washington C.H. Deputy Registrar location with the “Most Improved in District 3” award for achieving an increase of 6.7 percent in the donor registration rate between 2014 and 2015.

“We are here on behalf of Lifeline Ohio and the Donate Life Ohio Council to present an award to the BMV for their education and awareness for donor registration,” said Jessica Petersen, coordinator for Lifeline of Ohio in Columbus. “We are also here to honor donor families, donor recipients and candidates for saving and enhancing lives.”

According to Lifeline of Ohio, approximately 60 percent of Fayette County residents are now registered donors, about half a percentage point higher than the state of Ohio’s donor registration average of 59.51 percent.

Lifeline of Ohio and the BMV are a part of the Donate Life team. When the BMV asks unregistered or first-time license or state identification applicants, “Would you like to register as an organ, eye and tissue donor?”, it enters them into the Ohio Donor Registry. Fayette County’s 6.7 percent increase in donor registration from 2014 to 2015 is significant because the number of Ohioans awaiting organ transplantation continues to rise and Ohioans die waiting for transplants.

More than 650 people in central Ohio are waiting for an organ transplant at any time, according to Lifeline of Ohio, and in 2015 there were 91 individuals in Central and Southern Ohio who donated an organ.

There are no age limits for organ and tissue donation and it costs the donor’s family nothing to donate. A common misconception is that doctors will let a person die if they know they are an organ donor, but this is simply not true, according to Life of Ohio: Doctors will work to save a person’s life and the donation is considered only after a person has been declared dead.

The Transplant Games of America “Torch for Life” was also brought to the BMV in Washington C.H. on Wednesday. The “Torch for Life” was presented to the Sanchez Family, of Fayette County, whose 10-year-old son, Ian, received a heart transplant when he was 3-months-old. The family stated Ian plans to participate in this year’s Transplant Games of America on June 10-15 in Cleveland to help raise awareness for the transplantation of organs, tissue and corneas.

“We want to show the world that transplants work,” said Peterson.

Ohioans who wish to give the gift of life may also register online in the Ohio Donor Registry through www.lifelineofohio.org.

The Fayette County License Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) Deputy Registrar in Washington C.H. received an award for organ donation rates from Lifeline of Ohio on Wednesday.
http://www.recordherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2016/04/web1_Thepicture.jpgThe Fayette County License Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) Deputy Registrar in Washington C.H. received an award for organ donation rates from Lifeline of Ohio on Wednesday.

By Ashley Bunton

The Record-Herald

Quick Facts on Donation in Ohio

Statistics provided by Lifeline of Ohio

3,170 Ohioans await a transplant.

Once every 48 hours, an Ohioan dies waiting for a transplant.

A single donor can potentially save the lives of up to eight people and enhance the lives of up to 50 more by donating vital organs and tissue.

Ohio organ donation in 2015:

353 Ohioans shared the gift of life through organ donation at the time of their death.

1,084 organs were transplanted.

Ohio tissue donation in 2015:

2,178 Ohioans gave improved quality of life to others through tissue donation in 2015.

Ohio eye donation in 2015:

3,282 Ohioans gave the gift of sight through cornea donation in 2015.

Reach Ashley Bunton at the Record-Herald (740) 335-3611.

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