Wyoming Leads Nation in Donor Registration

AURORA, Colo., April 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Wyoming led the nation in 2009 as the state with the highest eye, organ and tissue donor designation rate among residents age 18 and over. This rate, called the "Actionable Donor Designation (ADD) Population 18+ Share," is the total number of designated donors as a percentage of all state residents age 18 and over.

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Today, the Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Bank (RMLEB) released statistics in conjunction with the National Donor Designation Report Card. In 2009, Wyoming reported that 81 percent of its residents age 18 or over had said "yes" to becoming a donor by joining the state donor registry.

The high percentage of Wyoming residents joining the registry also means more eye donors are registered as well. In 2009, RMLEB helped fulfill the wishes of 151 eye donors from Wyoming, of which 55 percent were registered. The outcome was 68 corneal transplants made possible by these donors. So far in 2010, 69 percent of eye donors from the RMLEB service area of Colorado and Wyoming have come via the state registries. These rates are considerably higher than the 2009 national registered eye donor rate of 38 percent. When a potential donor is not registered, that person's family members must decide on donation, often with the burden of not knowing what their loved one would have wanted.

There are still many Wyoming residents who have not registered as eye, organ and tissue donors, for various reasons. The report revealed research consistent with research done in the region showing the number one reason people don't register is that they think they cannot due to age, lifestyle or health.

"Nobody should let these factors prevent them from registering as a donor and potentially helping others in this way someday," said Ed Jacobs, RMLEB executive director. "It's also important to tell your family about the wish to donate."

To learn more about eye tissue donation and how to join the donor registry, visit www.corneas.org.  

The Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Bank is the recovery agency for donated eye tissue in Colorado and Wyoming. It is a nonprofit, charitable organization that serves eye donors and their families and provides for sight-saving transplantation locally, nationally and worldwide.

SOURCE Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Bank