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Group gives preference to organ donors
By Ashley Rhodebeck
Daily News staff writer
A group of unpaid staff in the country's south is giving Stateline Area residents the opportunity to one day save their own lives, but so far only five have signed up.
Four people in Rockton and one in Roscoe belong to LifeSharers, a non-profit network of organ donors that lets members offer their organs to fellow donors before giving them to non-donors.
“I do know people who have had to wait a long time to receive an organ, and I think it's a travesty that people don't donate their organs to help others live or obtain a better life,” said longtime organ donor Lori Johnson of Rockton.
Mary Cote, also of Rockton, became a donor because her organs won't be of any use to her once she dies, but they could help someone else. She joined LifeSharers less than a year ago after learning more about it on its Web site.
“It is important to me to know whoever receives my organs would make the same sacrifice if they could,” Cote said.
According to the most recent data, about 177 Wisconsin residents and 732 Illinoisans have joined the organization, which will mark its sixth anniversary in May.
Retired Tennessean and Minnesota native Dave Undis created LifeSharers in 2002 after stumbling upon stories about people dying while waiting for organ transplants and the large number of people unwilling to become donors.
“The thing that really got to me was the incredible waste,” he said. “Americans bury or cremate 20,000 transplantable organs every year.”
Undis researched the topic further and learned the idea of letting organ donors have first priority to donations had been discussed but nobody had executed the concept.
He launched the LifeSharers Web site in May 2002 and closed the first 12 months with 786 members. As of Jan. 31, membership has risen to 10,478 and includes residents of each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
Of the members, only 69 - about one half of 1 percent - are waiting for organs, dispelling critics' suggestions that LifeSharers would only attract people awaiting transplants.
“It's gratifying to see that's not the case,” Undis said.
A LifeSharers member-to-member transplant has yet to happen, though. Whenever that day comes Undis expects more publicity and a spike in membership.
“People are going to see they can save their own life by agreeing to donate,” he said.
Undis claims offering an incentive for people to become organ donors has increased the number of total donors and said about one-fourth of LifeSharers' members were not registered donors before joining the group.
LifeSharers has also faced opposition, most of which centers around the question of fairness. While some, like Johnson, believe it is fair those willing to donate should be at the top of the list to receive an organ, Undis said critics say organs should go to people who need them regardless of their willingness to donate.
He thinks otherwise.
“The fairness issue is a secondary issue,” Undis said. “If you give organs to organ donors first you get more organ donors. That's going to save more lives. If you save more lives that should be the primary goal of the transplant system.”
Membership to LifeSharers is open to people of any age or health condition. People can enroll by visiting the Web site, www.lifesharers.org, or calling the organization at 1-888-674-2688 to receive a hard copy form.
“What else are you going to do with your organs when you die?” Undis said. “You can save your neighbors' lives or throw them away.”
Becoming a donor
Wisconsin residents:Sign up when applying for a drivers license or identification card.
If you already have your license, sign and date the backside of the card and specify all or specific organs you will donate.
When renewing your license or ID card mark “yes” on the application to the organ donor question
Illinois residents: Submit the online form at https://www.ilsos.gov/organdonorregister/
Call 1-800-210-2106
Visit the nearest Secretary of State facility
Four people in Rockton and one in Roscoe belong to LifeSharers, a non-profit network of organ donors that lets members offer their organs to fellow donors before giving them to non-donors.
“I do know people who have had to wait a long time to receive an organ, and I think it's a travesty that people don't donate their organs to help others live or obtain a better life,” said longtime organ donor Lori Johnson of Rockton.
Mary Cote, also of Rockton, became a donor because her organs won't be of any use to her once she dies, but they could help someone else. She joined LifeSharers less than a year ago after learning more about it on its Web site.
“It is important to me to know whoever receives my organs would make the same sacrifice if they could,” Cote said.
According to the most recent data, about 177 Wisconsin residents and 732 Illinoisans have joined the organization, which will mark its sixth anniversary in May.
Retired Tennessean and Minnesota native Dave Undis created LifeSharers in 2002 after stumbling upon stories about people dying while waiting for organ transplants and the large number of people unwilling to become donors.
“The thing that really got to me was the incredible waste,” he said. “Americans bury or cremate 20,000 transplantable organs every year.”
Undis researched the topic further and learned the idea of letting organ donors have first priority to donations had been discussed but nobody had executed the concept.
He launched the LifeSharers Web site in May 2002 and closed the first 12 months with 786 members. As of Jan. 31, membership has risen to 10,478 and includes residents of each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
Of the members, only 69 - about one half of 1 percent - are waiting for organs, dispelling critics' suggestions that LifeSharers would only attract people awaiting transplants.
“It's gratifying to see that's not the case,” Undis said.
A LifeSharers member-to-member transplant has yet to happen, though. Whenever that day comes Undis expects more publicity and a spike in membership.
“People are going to see they can save their own life by agreeing to donate,” he said.
Undis claims offering an incentive for people to become organ donors has increased the number of total donors and said about one-fourth of LifeSharers' members were not registered donors before joining the group.
LifeSharers has also faced opposition, most of which centers around the question of fairness. While some, like Johnson, believe it is fair those willing to donate should be at the top of the list to receive an organ, Undis said critics say organs should go to people who need them regardless of their willingness to donate.
He thinks otherwise.
“The fairness issue is a secondary issue,” Undis said. “If you give organs to organ donors first you get more organ donors. That's going to save more lives. If you save more lives that should be the primary goal of the transplant system.”
Membership to LifeSharers is open to people of any age or health condition. People can enroll by visiting the Web site, www.lifesharers.org, or calling the organization at 1-888-674-2688 to receive a hard copy form.
“What else are you going to do with your organs when you die?” Undis said. “You can save your neighbors' lives or throw them away.”
Becoming a donor
Wisconsin residents:
Illinois residents:
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