2021 -- S 0857

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LC002751

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2021

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S E N A T E   R E S O L U T I O N

RECOGNIZING APRIL OF 2021 AS "DONATE LIFE MONTH" IN THE STATE OF RHODE

ISLAND

     Introduced By: Senator Dawn M. Euer

     Date Introduced: April 28, 2021

     Referred To: Placed on the Senate Consent Calendar

     WHEREAS, Since 2003, the month of April has been celebrated as National Donate Life

Month, during which local, state, and national activities are held in order to educate and

encourage individuals to register as donors; and

     WHEREAS, Organ donation and transplantation saves lives. Globally, a person is added

to the national transplant waiting list every ten minutes which currently has approximately

113,000 individuals awaiting an organ donation; and

     WHEREAS, Organ donation from a single deceased donor can benefit up to eight

individuals, and living kidney and liver donors provide transplant candidates with the chance to

live longer; and

     WHEREAS, Despite over 130 million people being registered as organ, eye, and tissue

donors, the need for donated organs far outweighs the supply and sadly, an average of twenty

people die each day while waiting for a transplant; and

     WHEREAS, New England Donor Services (NEDS) oversees and coordinates the entire

donation process for thousands of families in our region each year; and

     WHEREAS, In addition, NEDS works with nearly 200 hospitals and screens nearly

50,000 potential donors; and

     WHEREAS, In 2019, 346 patients from Rhode Island Hospital and Hasbro Children’s

Hospital met criteria for referral to NEDS for potential organ donation and ultimately 22 patients

were able to help 72 people waiting for a life-saving organ transplant; and

     WHEREAS, The Rhode Island Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has partnered with

Donate Life New England, a program offered through the New England Organ Bank, that allows

drivers a fast and easy way to make their donation decision known; and

      WHEREAS, Currently, 99 percent of all people who identify themselves as an organ &

tissue donor do so at the RI DMV; and

     WHEREAS, Making the decision to become an organ donor is ultimately and

munificently choosing to give the gift of life; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island hereby celebrates April of

2021 as "Donate Life Month" and urges all Rhode Islanders to register as organ donors; and be it

further

     RESOLVED, That this Senate hereby recognizes New England Donor Services and the

Rhode Island Department of Motor Vehicles for the critical role they play in organ donations; and

be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to Alex Glazier, President & CEO of New

England Donor Services, and Walter R. Craddock, Administrator of the Rhode Island Department

of Motor Vehicles.

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LC002751

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