On any given day, 100,000 people are on the waiting list for transplant surgery and 17 people die for lack of an organ.
A survey by the Coalition on Donation shows that nine out of 10 people want to donate, but only three out of 10 know how to do it.
Checking the box on your driver's license is often not enough. The consent of family may be required as well. They must agree in advance to support your decision.
Each state has different donor rules. You can view them at donatelife.net. Once there, you can download a uniform donor card. It's a step that could save another person's life.
A significant number of respondents to the survey had the fear that organs might be harvested when a person still has a chance to live. More than half believed that people who are brain dead might be able to come back to life.
