[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 5937]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       NATIONAL DONATE LIFE MONTH

  (Mr. COMER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. COMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring awareness to April 
being National Donate Life Month.
  There are currently 117,992 people who need lifesaving organ 
transplants. Of those, there are nearly 1,000 Kentuckians on that list. 
To put it in perspective, every 10 minutes, someone is added to that 
list.
  Despite advances in medicine, there continues to be a gap between 
supply and demand. On average, 22 people die each day while waiting for 
a transplant. Kentucky legislation passed in 2006 enabling its 
residents to have their wishes documented through the Kentucky Organ 
Donor Registry. By joining the registry, an individual's wishes are 
documented electronically in a safe and secure database. Several States 
have also created their own registry.
  Ninety-five of Americans are in favor of being a donor, but only 54 
percent are registered. This is why registering to be an organ donor is 
so important.
  Mr. Speaker, I would also like to recognize my field representative, 
Amelia Wilson, who received a liver transplant in 2005, and is 
currently awaiting a second transplant. Amelia, my longtime friend and 
a fellow Monroe County native, resides in Livingston County with her 
husband, Allen Wilson.
  After courageously undergoing her first transplant, Amelia has 
dedicated herself to advocating for organ donation. We are lucky to 
have her serving the First District as our field representative. Beyond 
her service to Kentucky, her activism for this noble cause is what 
truly elevates her as an advocate, friend, and servant of the First 
District.
  During National Donate Life Month, I encourage everyone to remember 
the bravery and diligence of people like Amelia. This April, please 
consider the importance of donating life.

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