[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 15]
[House]
[Page 21045]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



        ORGAN DONATION IS AS SIMPLE AS FILLING OUT A DONOR CARD

  (Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, we know that life is short, and the 
60,000 patients who are currently on a waiting list to get organs know 
just how precious time is.
  Sadly enough, only 20,000 people this year will receive organ 
transplants, and today nine people will lose their lives because a 
match was not found.
  As the waiting list for organs continues to grow, so does the need 
for organ procurement. Organ donation is as simple as filling out a 
donor card and by just one person's donation as many as 50 people may 
benefit through transplantation.
  It is important that we as Members of Congress raise awareness on the 
importance of organ and tissue donations to increase donors across our 
districts and throughout our land. There is no greater gift than the 
gift of life. We must encourage this giving and work to leave a lasting 
legacy to prevent the needless and tragic deaths of thousands of 
Americans each year.

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