ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - An organ donation organization has launched a campaign to get New Yorkers to register as organ donors, noting that the state ranks dead last in the nation for the percentage of residents registered.
LiveOnNY, formerly the New York Organ Donor Network, says surveys show 83 percent of New Yorkers support organ donation but only 24 percent are registered donors.
The organization says every 18 hours, a New Yorker dies waiting for a transplant.
Helen Irving, president of LiveOnNY, says outreach efforts have boosted the number of New Yorkers registered as donors by 56 percent since 2011.
During April, designated as “Donate Life Month,” the group will partner with health care providers, businesses and the Department of Motor Vehicles to raise awareness and encourage people to register.
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