Belinda Lane, Community Outreach Coordinator for the Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency (MORA), spoke to the Rotary Club of North Jackson during its May 3, 2022 meeting. Lane informed club members that more than 1,300 Mississippians are currently waiting for a transplant and that every day approximately 20 people die waiting for a transplant. Lane added that most people think of just organ donation, but there is also a need for eye (the cornea) and tissue donations. A single organ donor can save up to 8 lives and between 50-70 lives can be healed through tissue donations according to Lane. In order to donate, you have to be in a hospital, on an ventilator and brain dead. Lane said to club members, like families have talks about finances, they need to have talks about organ, eye and tissue donation. Most people know about the little red heart on drivers license noting one as a donor. According to Lane, you can be any age to be an organ donor, but if you are under 18 years, a parent or guardian must give permission to donate. Ways to sign up to become a donor are: Online @ MSORA.org or registerme.org and at a drivers license bureau. Here is the link to the meeting's video https://vimeo.com/706987350 Shown in photo below from left, Club Vice-President Larry Anderson, Lane and Club Director Bill Osborne.
