Title
To recognize the month of April 2011 as National Donate Life Month.
Body
WHEREAS, more than 110,000 men, women, and children are currently awaiting a life-saving organ transplant in the United States; and
WHEREAS, approximately 18 times a day a person dies while waiting for an organ transplant; and
WHEREAS, Ohio has over 3,300 people awaiting an organ transplant at any one time; and
WHEREAS, Central Ohio has more than 700 men, women and children currently listed for an organ transplant at The Ohio State University Medical Center or Nationwide Children's Hospital; and
WHEREAS, a single donor can potentially save the lives of eight people through organ donation by donating their heart, lungs, liver, pancreas, kidneys and small intestine, and enhance the lives of more than 50 others through tissue donation by donating corneas, veins, heart valves, fascia, bone, skins, tendons, ligaments and nerves; and
WHEREAS, Lifeline of Ohio is the designated organ procurement organization dedicated to promoting and coordinating the donation of organs and tissue for transplantation in this area; and
WHEREAS, April has been proclaimed "Donate Life Month" both nationally and locally; and
WHEREAS, more than 4.9 million Ohioans have made the important decision to register as an organ, eye and tissue donor in the Ohio Donor Registry; and
WHEREAS, The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles makes it easy to register your advanced directive decision to become an organ or tissue donor on a driver's license or state identification card, by signing up on-line at www.lifelineofohio.org or by filling out a paper registration form; and
WHEREAS, discussing your wishes regarding donation is one of the most important additional steps a family can take; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
That we do hereby recognize the month of April 2011 as National Donate Life Month and continue to support the efforts of Lifeline of Ohio by encouraging every citizen to consider sharing the "Gift of Life" through organ and tissue donation.