Core Messages?

The Need for Donation is Critical

• 2,172 people in Ohio are currently waiting for a kidney transplant due to end-stage renal failure
• On any given day in Ohio, nearly 3,000 people are waiting for an organ transplant
• Only about half of Ohioans have registered to become an organ and tissue donor

Setting the record straight

Becoming a donor does NOT affect the level of medical care you will receive in the case of a medical emergency

• The matching of organs to recipients is coordinated through the United Network for Organ Sharing and is based strictly on medical criteria to ensure the organ goes to the person who needs it most
• Even if you have a history of medical illness, you can still be an organ and/or tissue donor
• Great care is taken to preserve the natural appearance of the donor following the recovery of organs and/or tissue
• Religious views - all major religions support organ and tissue donation as the ultimate act of charity

Be a hero

• A single donor has the potential to save up to eight lives through organ donation
• A single donor has the potential to enhance the quality of life for more than 50 people through tissue and eye donation
• Each year, more than 1,600 Ohioans could have their sight restored