Florida’s first-ever statewide organ donor registration initiative was announced today by Donate Life Florida and many supportive groups, as more than 5,000 Floridians are hoping and waiting for lifesaving transplants every day. As April’s National Donate Life Month gets underway, the campaign seeks to measurably boost the number of Sunshine State residents who become registered donors of organs, tissues, and eyes.
The campaign will target a diverse statewide audience, including historically under-registered groups, and will directly lead to more lives saved through organ, tissue, and eye donation. Though thousands of neighbors are currently on waiting lists at Florida transplant centers, fewer than 2 out of 5 Florida drivers agree to join the state’s donor registry when they receive or renew a driver’s license.
“Life is such a precious gift, and organ, tissue, and eye donation are such a selfless way to share that gift to extend and enhance the lives of others,” said Patricia Darrigan, chairwoman of Donate Life Florida. “Too many Floridians are dying while waiting for a transplant. Signing up takes just a moment – but that one moment can change so many lives and extend the legacy of every donor.”
Save up to 8 lives, heal dozens more
On average, one organ donor can save up to eight lives, and one tissue donor can enhance the lives of more than 75 people. Additionally, corneal transplants from eye donors can restore sight to many individuals.
“I literally would not be here today if not for the generous organ donation of a young woman whose life ended far too soon,” said Kris Vanni, of the Brevard County community of Scottsmoor, who received a new liver when Tallahassee resident Aimee Sachs died following a massive stroke on May 31, 2023. “If not for Aimee’s incredible gift, my husband would be raising our sons by himself, and I would not be able to watch them grow. That’s the difference organ donation can make – giving life to others and saving families, too.”
Kris is one of three individuals whose lives were extended and enhanced by receiving organs from Aimee. Ron Sachs says his daughter’s final act of kindness was the bravest thing his family had ever witnessed. A moving public service announcement (PSA) for Donate Life Florida, featuring Aimee Sachs, is available at https://vimeo.com/1070343191?share=copy. A private donation from the Sachs family will endow the launch of the campaign, and Sachs urged other Floridians to also contribute to the effort.
“The greatest gift any of us can give is to make that personal commitment to be a donor, and the best way to enhance your own life’s legacy is to donate life to others.” said Sachs, Chairman Emeritus of Sachs Media, in Tallahassee. “We hope Aimee’s inspiring story, and those of so many other donors and recipients, will widen the universe of people who choose to leave a gift of life.”
Help your neighbors
Because most organs have a limited period of viability, recipients are likely to be relatively close – so organ donation is essentially an opportunity to help our neighbors. Individuals can enroll on Florida’s organ and tissue donor registry at www.DonateLifeFlorida.org — or when they apply for or renew their driver’s license, auto tag, or ID card.
Registering to be an organ donor is free, and an individual’s status as an organ donor does not affect their medical care or funeral arrangements. Most major religions consider organ, tissue, and eye donation an act of love, charity, and life.
Donate Life Florida is a non-profit organization authorized by the State of Florida to manage the Joshua Abbott Organ and Tissue Donor Registry, the state’s official organ, tissue, and eye donor registry. The statewide campaign to increase donor registrations will be part of a partnership complemented by significant media matches and private donations, including a major gift from the Sachs family in honor of Aimee.
“Florida simply doesn’t have enough registered organ donors to keep up with the need,” said Donate Life Chairwoman Darrigan. “We’re not just talking about numbers – we are talking about sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, neighbors, friends, and colleagues whose lives hang in the balance.”
Former State Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, whose husband, John, was an organ donor, reflected support for the statewide organ donor registration campaign.
“John was so meaningful to everyone who knew him. He was the love of my life. He was a guiding light for our girls. He was a transformational leader for our community. And in the end, his tragedy gave life to others,” said Passidomo.
Registrations below 50% goal
According to data from Donate Life Florida, fewer than 40% of Floridians said “yes” to organ donation when obtaining or renewing their driver’s license at tax collector offices last year – meaning over 60% of Floridians are not registered in that simple way. The rate is lowest in some of the state’s most populous areas, including southeast Florida (39%) and southwest Florida (38%). In almost half of Florida’s counties, fewer than 50% of potential registrants are on the registry.
“My life today is full of things I once feared I’d never experience again: time with my family, laughter with friends, simple moments that now feel extraordinary. All of that is possible because one person said yes,” said Tyrone Brisby of Jacksonville, who received a new heart from 14-year-old Tennessee donor Kyle Rodger in 2014. “The goal of this campaign is to get registrations up to at least 50%, so more people will get to enjoy a second chance, the way I did.”
Organ donation is more than a medical procedure — it’s a lasting act of compassion that can ripple through families and communities. While the choice to register is a personal one, its impact can be profound. As National Donate Life Month continues, advocates are working to keep the focus on the quiet power of individual action and the lives that may one day be lived because of it.
