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Facebook, Donate Life America to drive organ donation; efforts to aid Circuit Clerks' Trust for Life

Butler County Circuit Clerk Melissa Cardwell

A cause championed by Circuit Clerks across Kentucky, including Butler County Circuit Clerk Melissa Cardwell, got  a major boost last week when Facebook announced a new partnership with Donate Life America, the national organization dedicated to increasing the number of registered organ, eye and tissue donors.

As part of the initiative, Facebook launched an upgrade to its timeline structure, which asks users to check their organ donor status and directs them to Donate Life America’s National Registration Page -- allowing them to designate a donation decision if they have not done so already. In an exclusive interview with ABC News’ Robin Roberts on “Good Morning America”, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg announced the new initiative and became one of the first Facebook users to sign up to donate on the social network. 

“We can’t thank Facebook enough for the organization’s commitment to helping save lives by encouraging Americans to register as organ, eye and tissue donors. We are also grateful to ABC and ESPN for their dedication to this cause and for sharing this opportunity with their viewers. Thousands of lives will be saved or healed as a result of this initiative,” said David Fleming, President and CEO of Donate Life America. “We want to encourage every Facebook user to take a moment and update their timeline, register to be a donor, and share their decision with family and friends. It is a simple way to provide hope for those in need.”

Butler County Circuit Clerk Melissa Cardwell is please with the new partnership.

"I, along with my fellow Circuit Court Clerks and our dedicated staff members, have promoted organ donation for 20 years through our Trust For Life.  We are proud that Facebook and its innovative leaders have committed to this mission as well," said Melissa Cardwell.  "I hope this partnership will raise awareness and encourage all Kentuckians to join the Kentucky Organ Donor Registry.  Being a registered organ donor gives hope to more than 800 patients in Kentucky on the waiting list for a life-saving organ transplant."

Collectively, the Circuit Clerks' Trust for Life has added more than 1.2 million names to the Kentucky Organ Donor Registry as residents renew their license, according to Cardwell.  

"However, that is still only 34% of Kentuckians.  With Facebook, we hope people will learn it’s not about signing the back of your license anymore, it is all about being a registered organ donor.  Kentuckians can register by saying “YES” when they obtain a state ID or driver’s license at my office, and everyone can join online TODAY www.donatelifeky.org," added Cardwell.  

The Facebook-Donate Life America partnership signifies a giant step for the organ, eye and tissue donation community, bringing major exposure to the need for more registered donors and leading the public to officially designate themselves as donors, providing hope to the over 114,000 men, women and children currently waiting for a lifesaving transplant. Thousands more await needed tissue or corneal transplants to resume normal lives or restore sight.

To find out more about Donate Life America or to register to be an organ, eye and tissue donor, visit www.facebook.com/DonateLife.

 

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