The Carol Stream Chamber partners with the Chicagoland Chamber of
Commerce and the State of Illinois Workplace Partners in bringing
you this information.
WHAT ILLINOIS
RESIDENTS NEED TO KNOW
ABOUT DONATING LIFE
Why do I need to re-register as an organ/tissue
donor?
On January 1,
2006, Illinois passed a new law creating a NEW donor registry that eliminates the need for additional consent
from family members or loved ones for you to be an organ/tissue
donor when you pass away. The Illinois Secretary of State’s new
donor registry will ultimately save many more lives, but in order
for your donor status to be valid, you must re-register.
Donate Life Illinois has made it easy for you to do so with a
30-second online process at www.IAmAreYou.org. Signing the back of
your driver’s license is no longer adequate to ensure your wishes
as a donor! What counts is your registration in the new registry.
What is Donate Life Illinois?
Donate Life Illinois is a coalition of agencies responsible for organ, tissue, eye and
blood donation, as well as
donor registration and education,
in Illinois. Member
organizations include the American Liver Foundation-Illinois; Gift
of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network; the Illinois Coalition of
Community Blood Centers; Illinois Secretary of State Organ/Tissue
Donor Program; Mid-America Transplant Services; Midwest Eye-Banks
and Transplantation Center/Illinois Eye-Bank; Musculoskeletal
Transplant Foundation; and the National Kidney Foundation of
Illinois.
Donate Life Illinois also serves as the name for
the coalition’s 18-month campaign that launched in January 2007 to
register 3.5 million Illinoisans in the state’s new
organ/tissue donor registry. The official campaign website is www.IAmAreYou.org.
Who is affected by this campaign?
Everyone!
The critical shortage of organs for transplant and
the need for tissue donation is one of the very few healthcare
problems we have a way to solve. The need for transplant affects
men, women and children of all ages, walks of life and
backgrounds. What’s more, virtually anyone can become a donor.
Though the new law requires that residents be at least 18 years of
age to register, it’s never too early to begin educating and
informing others about the importance of this issue.
How do I register?
The easiest, fastest way you can register is to
access the new Illinois donor registry online at www.IAmAreYou.org. Registration only takes 30 seconds. You
just need your state ID or driver’s license number and must be at
least 18.
You can also fill out and mail an Illinois
Organ/Tissue Donor Registry registration card, call the Illinois
Secretary of State Organ/Tissue Donor Program at 800/210-2106 or
stop by any Illinois driver’s license facility.
Learn more about organ, tissue, eye and blood
donation by visiting www.IAmAreYou.org and click on “Partners,” or contact Donate
Life Illinois at 888/307-DON8 (3668).