More People Are Checking The Box, Choosing To "Donate Life"

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NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - It seems more people are deciding to be a part of the Donate Life Texas Registry. That's evident as enrollment in the program, that officially gives consent for people to donate their organs and tissue for transplants, now includes more then eight million potential donors.

Officials with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) said that in 2015 there were more than one million new donor registrants to the Donate Life Texas Registry.

"With the simple act of choosing to register as a potential donor, one person can significantly impact or even save the life of many others," said DPS Director Steven McCraw.

Those who registered are being called heroes, since 816 have actually become donors and so far have made more than 2,600 organ transplants and thousands of cornea and tissue transplants possible.

There are a variety of ways to sign up on the Donate Life Texas Registry, including an online registration form, a paper application that can be mailed or faxed, and signing up Department of Public Safety Office when first getting or renewing your driver's license or identification card.

Suzy Miller, with said Donate Life Texas, said, "The customer service representatives at the DPS driver license offices are essential to this lifesaving effort because they make it easy and convenient for Texans to join the donor registry."

Anyone signing up on the registry through DPS will have a heart symbol on their license or ID card.

According to Donate Life, while there are 81 organ transplants in the U.S. everyday, there are also 22 who die because there was no organ available. In Texas, there are currently some 13,000 people waiting for an organ or tissue transplant.

The Donate Life Texas Registry is the only, official organ, eye and tissue donor registry for the state and is part of the national Donate Life America registry network.

(©2016 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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