By: Lauren Lane, MS, RD, LD

April is Donate Life Month, and it’s more than likely that you know someone, or of someone, who has received an organ donation or is waiting for a transplant, as there are over 119,000 people currently on the U.S.’s national transplant waiting list.

You can make a huge difference and save one or more lives by just taking a few simple steps.

Some ways that you can become involved in saving a life are: registering as an organ donor, getting tested for living donation for specific organs, such as liver, kidney, bone marrow and blood, advocating for those around you who are in need of an organ, and working to raise awareness about the importance of organ donation.

Only 54 percent of U.S. adults are registered as organ donors, while most adults support organ donation. So why not take five minutes and go to Registerme.org or Donatelifeky.com, it is simple to register and takes just a few minutes.

In 2016, over 33,000 organ transplants were performed, but there are still so many people waiting, many waiting for organs that can come from a living donor.

So what are you waiting for? Look into local opportunities to raise awareness about organ donation and if you haven’t already done so, register in the state of Kentucky as an organ donor. Visit www.jessminehealth.org to learn more.