The drive to save lives: Increasing organ donation in Florida could begin with getting your driver's license

An innovative effort is underway to increase the number of organ donors in minority communities, led by AdventHealth’s OurLegacy, Central Florida’s federally designated organ procurement organization.

“My district is made up of predominantly African Americans,” said Lavon Bracy Davis, who represents Florida House District 40, and is a registered organ donor. "I realized the issue with people not wanting to donate organs has a lot to do with the myths around it and misconceptions and misinformation.”

“That two minutes can bust a myth.”

Thirteen people die every day waiting for an organ transplant, according the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). The need for organ donors is especially critical among minorities.

Rep. Davis is working with Kia Blair, manager of multicultural affairs and partnerships with OurLegacy, on a pilot program with the Orange County tax collector offices where residents get their driver licenses.

Video monitors in the offices show a short educational video about organ donation. This gives them vital information before they arrive at the counter and are asked if they want to register to be a donor.

The pilot program features a video produced by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. The long-term goal for Blair’s idea is to produce a video unique to Florida, and incorporate it as a required part of the driver license process statewide.

“That two minutes can bust a myth. That two minutes can kind of change someone's perspective on what organ donation really is,” said Rep. Davis.

It's two minutes that could increase the number of people who register to become organ donors and ultimately save thousands of lives.

“It’s a win for the recipients waiting, and for those donor hero families who may not know if their loved one wanted to, in fact, save lives through organ donation.”

To learn more about this effort to increase awareness about the need for organ donation, click the video player at the top of the page.

There more than 104,000 people waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant in the U.S., which is a little more than capacity of Daytona International Speedway.

Between 5,000 and 6,000 of them are Floridians, and about 600 of those are being cared for by teams at the AdventHealth Transplant Institute, Central Florida’s only solid-organ transplant program.

OurLegacy works closely with hospitals and donor families to coordinate the organ donation process.

Florida residents can sign up to become an organ donor in just a few minutes by visiting www.donatelifeflorida.org.