According to Donate Life California, the official California organ and tissue donor registry, there are currently over 21,000 Californians awaiting an organ transplant.

There continues to be an urgent need for organ donations in the U.S. and California, with over 7,000 Californians on the donor waiting list who will die before a suitable match can be found.

If you live in California and wish to become an organ donor, you can do so by visiting www.donatelifecalifornia.org to register.  You must be at least 18 years of age.

The website also provides information about donating bone marrow, blood or making a living donation of a kidney or other organs that can save a life today.  According to the site, more than 6,000 Americans become living donors every year and one in four of these are not biologically related to the recipient.

You should also be sure to include your wishes as part of your California estate planning process, including specific language within your Living Will, Advanced Medical Directive or Health Proxy.  Check with your California estate planning attorney to see what is necessary to include organ donation in your estate plan.