Don't take your organs to ... heaven knows we need them here. The Northeastern Pennsylvania Transplant Support Group designed that catchy slogan to convey a life-saving message: The number of people awaiting organ transplants outweighs the donors.

    Consider these facts, which were disseminated last week in recognition of National Organ Donor and Tissue Awareness Week:

• Nearly 60,000 people await organ transplants at any given time, but organ donors numbered only 5,500 in 1998.
• Every day in the United States 11 people die because of a shortage of donors.
• Half the 130,000 dialysis patients could get off the machines if kidney donors were available.

    The Delaware Valley Transplant Program, which serves the Poconos, said its important for people who want to be donors to let their families know of their wishes. Often people carry an organ-donor card or register as donors when they renew their driver's licenses. But because they never discussed their wishes with members, their desires are not carried out. Consent from legal next-of-kin is always sought before organs or tissue can be recovered for transplants.

    On Page A-9 of today's Pocono Record, award-winning columnist Ellen Goodman wrote a piece about how a family members organs helped save several lives. You too can help people by taking the proper steps now to be a donor For more information, call (888) 366-6771 or call up the internet site www.donors1.org.

This story appeared in April of 1999 in the Pocono Record.