LifeLink® of Florida is excited to celebrate National DMV Appreciation Week during September 21-25, 2020, to thank local Motor Vehicle Departments (DMVs) and Tax Collector offices for their lifesaving work through organ, eye and tissue donor registration. The week of appreciation was originally created in 2016 by Donate Life America to highlight driver license issuing offices and their employees who play an invaluable role in increasing the number of registered donors. This year the theme “Lifesavers Like You!” will focus on honoring our lifesaving partners in donation.
Almost 90% of people who register to become donors do so when obtaining or renewing a driver’s license at local DMVs and Tax Collector offices. Each customer is asked if they would like to become an organ donor and those who say yes to saving lives are registered on Florida’s organ and tissue donor registry, Donate Life Florida, and customers will see the symbol of a heart and the word donor added to their driver’s license or ID card.
Last year in 2019 DMV and Tax Collector offices across the state registered more than 546,691 Floridians as organ, eye and tissue donors and together with organ recovery organizations have helped save more than 2,000 lives. LifeLink appreciates the dedication and support of all local offices who work daily to offer organ donation to customers and continue to support us in our lifesaving mission.
LifeLink of Florida’s service area currently has a 56% Donor Designation Rate (DDR) which is the percentage of individuals who say yes to donation through a driver’s license transaction. LifeLink is proud of our local driver license issuing offices who are performing higher than the state DDR average which is at 49 percent. DMV and Tax Collector offices have faced many challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, but have maintained consistent Donor Designation Rates over the last five months.
LifeLink of Florida is the local organ recovery organization that facilitates the donation process on the west coast of Florida and provides donation education to the public. LifeLink works to build strong relationships with local DMV and Tax Offices throughout our 15-county service area to continue educating about the importance of donation and to increase donor registration.
Currently there are over 109,000 men, women and children who are waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant in the United States and roughly 5,300 of those individuals live in Florida. For the thousands of Floridians in need a transplant provides a second chance and hope for a longer life. Registering to become a donor is easy and only takes a few minutes. LifeLink inspires the public to register and share their donation decision at www.DonateLifeFlorida.org or when obtaining or renewing a driver license.
