Midwest Transplant hopes REAL ID shows increase in organ donor volunteers

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - As drivers make their way through the process of obtaining a REAL ID, they also have the opportunity to save lives.

Typically, a person chooses organ donation when g up for a driver’s license. The basic idea is that once you have ed, you’ve already permitted your viable organs to go to someone in need.

Once an organ donor is declared deceased in the Kansas City metro, the donation process begins with the Midwest Transplant Network (MTN). Midwest Transplant is a federally certified, not-for-profit that facilitates organ, eye, and tissue donation and transplantation. They serve Kansas and western Missouri, working with donors, their families, hospitals, and other partners.

Kansas City’s Midwest Transplant says if you are ready to give the gift of life once you’re gone, consider doing so while g up for your REAL ID.

“It is a personal decision, and you hope people will say yes,” said Midwest Transplant Network’s Nez Savala. “We encourage people to learn more so they’re more likely to say yes. By agreeing to organ donation, you are giving another person a chance at life when their options are limited. They’re waiting for an organ, whether it’s a kidney, heart, or lung.”

Midwest Transplant reports that approximately 2,000 people in Missouri and 500 in Kansas are awaiting a transplant.

For more detailed statistics, including the number currently on the waiting list, you can visit the UNOS data and transplant statistics website.

If you don’t want to wait in line at the DMV to as a donor, you can do so here.

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