I have no idea how we did it! In just 18 months, one million people have registered as organ, tissue and eye donors on Wisconsin's Donor Registry. Wait, I know exactly how we did it... together!
It might have been the hundreds of volunteers who work with me - Dottie Donor Dot - and my friends to promote organ donation through their work in hospitals and communities all over the state. Or, it could be all the grateful recipients who tell everyone about their hero, an organ donor. Or maybe it was the donor families who share their personal experiences with donation so others know what a beautiful gift it is.
Yes, it's all of those people and more.
So thank you DMV employees who ask "Do you wish to be a donor?" a hundred times a day. Thank you, driver's education teachers, for spending 30 minutes to educate teens about the importance of that donor dot. Thank you nurses, physicians, social workers and clergy for guiding donor families through their darkest hour. And thank you media people, for sharing these beautiful stories with the public. Those stories save lives.
But most of all, thank you donors. Thank you for registering as a donor and telling your family so they knew your decision. You are my heroes.
If you haven't registered yet, please do. The registry is legal authorization and saves your family from having to make this decision for you. There are still 3.5 million Wisconsinites - many with orange dots - who need to register.
More than 1,800 people in Wisconsin are waiting for an organ. Will you help us in our work to save more lives?
Your Friend,
Dottie Donor Dot
From The Ripple Effect Newsletter
Dottie Donor Dot