The New York Organ Donor Network Calls Upon Every New Yorker to Sign the Donor Registry

New York, NY - March 18, 2008: While nearly 22,000 desperately ill patients received organ transplants in the United States in 2007, a total of 6,411 patients lost their lives because of the shortage of organ donors. That is an average of 18 patients who died each day while on the waiting list.

For this reason, the New York Organ Donor Network is urging all individuals age 18 years and older in the greater New York metropolitan area to commit to saving lives by enrolling in the New York State Organ and Tissue Donor Registry during National Donate Life Month throughout April. Commerce Bank, a Workplace Partnership for Life partner, will be a major participant throughout April in the drive to boost enrollments in the registry.

Compared with most other states across the nation, New York's donor registry is growing at a disappointing rate. Since its launch in the summer of 2000, only 1.4 million names have been added to the donor registry, that from a population of approximately 19 million.

"The majority of people enroll in the registry when they apply for a driver's license or when renewing their licenses," said Elaine Berg, the Donor Network's president and CEO. "The average renewal date for licenses in New York State has been extended to every 10 years, and may account in large part for the registry's slow growth, but New Yorkers can do better."

Ms. Berg said that the New York Organ Donor Network is marking its 30th anniversary this year. "We think that it's most fitting that our goal during this special year will be to increase dramatically the number of New Yorkers enrolled in this confidential database that is administered by New York's Department of Health," she said. "The registry can only be accessed by Donor Network staff at the time of a potential donation. When next of kin are informed that their loved one had enrolled, it is a great source of comfort at a time of unexpected loss and grief."

Ms. Berg urged New Yorkers not to wait for their next contact with the Department of Motor Vehicles. She said: "To each New Yorker our message is this: Please find out more about organ, eye and tissue donation, discuss it with your family, and enroll throughout April in the donor registry. It is easy to do so either online or by requesting an enrollment form in the mail."

The Donor Network's director of communications, Julia Rivera, said that the largest obstacles to organ and tissue donation remain a number of myths that must be dispelled. "The tragedy is that while these myths are given life through misunderstanding and ignorance, human lives are being lost," she said. "The fact is that doctors take an oath to save lives. The issue of transplantation only arises when the battle to save the patient's life is lost and there is an opportunity to preserve and carry out the right of families and their loved ones to donate."

The Donor Network emphasizes that one's celebrity or financial status does not play a part in the decision of how organs are allocated. Rather, organs are allocated to patients who are most in need of transplants, and allocation is also based on a variety of medical and logistical factors including blood type, size of organ needed, and waiting time.

All major religions, including the Roman Catholic Church, support organ and tissue donation. Pope Benedict XVI has stated that "to give one's organs means to give expression to a true, deep act of love for one's neighbor."

For the duration of National Donate Life Month, the New York Organ Donor Network will present life-saving facts surrounding these common myths by offering information about donation to the general public and at hospitals throughout the greater New York metropolitan area.

New Yorkers can enroll online in the New York State Organ and Tissue Donor Registry at www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/donor/agreement.htm.

To request donor registry enrollment forms through the mail, write to the New York Donor Network, Communications Department, 132 W. 31st Street, New York, NY 10001.

THE NEED FOR ORGAN, EYE AND TISSUE DONORS: In the greater New York metropolitan area, the region served by the New York Organ Donor Network, there were only 322 deceased organ donors last year. They saved the lives of 722 people, but in the metro area there are still nearly 7,000 people waiting for PRGAN transplants. Nationally, the number of people waiting for organ transplants is fast approaching 100,000. In addition, thousands of patients await life-saving and life-improving tissues such as bone, skin and heart-valves, as well as eyes and corneas.

ABOUT THE NEW YORK ORGAN DONOR NETWORK: Celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2008, the New York Organ Donor Network is the second largest of the nation's 58 nonprofit, federally designated organ procurement organizations (OPOs). Founded in 1978, the Donor Network is responsible for the recovery of organs, eyes and tissues for transplantation, and public and professional education efforts in the greater New York metropolitan area. It partners with 10 transplant centers, more than 100 hospitals, as well as several eye and tissue banks. The New York Organ Donor Network is fully accredited by the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations (AOPO). It is a member of the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS).

COMMERCE BANK PROMOTES NATIONAL DONATE LIFE MONTH: Commerce Bank will host a Workplace Partnership reception in Manhattan on April 1 to kick off National Donate Life Month. Greater New York metropolitan area partners will gather to learn how they may help to increase donor registry enrollments in the workplace setting as well as meet Donor Network staff members and fellow Workplace partners. Commerce Bank recently joined the Workplace Partnership for Life campaign, a national initiative to encourage employees to register as organ, eye and tissue donors. Commerce Bank was established in 1973 and has more than 470 banking stores on the East Coast.

NATIONAL DONATE LIFE MONTH is designated by the federal government to raise awareness about the need for organ, tissue, blood and bone marrow donors.

MEDIA CONTACT: Martin Woolf, New York Organ Donor Network: mwoolf@nyodn.org or call 646-291-4460.