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Group Urges Wisconsinites To Register Online To Be Organ Donors

State Officials Began Online Donor Registry In 2010

By
Morgan (CC-BY)

A group seeking to increase organ donations in Wisconsin is urging people to register online.

Officials from Donate Life Wisconsin said that relying on the orange colored dot on a driver’s license might not be enough.

Those wanting to donate their organs might think the orange dot on their license ensures that will happen.

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But, not necessarily, according to Joanne Grunau, president of the Board of Directors for Donate Life Wisconsin.

“They would actually have to find your license to be able to see what your wishes were. It was your desire but legally, your next of kin could have overridden that decision,” Grunau said.

In 2010, the state started an online donor registry.

Ever since then, people wanting to donate organs are automatically added to the registry when they get their driver’s license.

Grunau said that those who renewed their license before 2010 might not be on the registry. She said that about 57 percent (or 2 million people) of the eligible Wisconsin residents are organ, tissue and eye donors.

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