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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 5, 2019
MEDIA CONTACT: Alex Murphy, DNR Director of Communications, 515.729.7533, Alex.Murphy@dnr.iowa.gov.
Sam Hoyle, Iowa Donor Network, 515.520.4132, sam@newtri.be
DES MOINES, IA— The Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Iowa Donor Network launched a new organ, eye, and tissue donor registry on Wednesday, September 4th. The new registry makes it possible for Iowans to register as organ, eye and tissue donors when obtaining a hunting, fishing or fur harvester license.
The new registry was created after Governor Kim Reynolds signed “Logan’s Law”, a bill named after 15-year-old Logan Luft. Logan, of Charles City, passed away in 2017 and saved many lives by becoming an organ and tissue donor. The Luft family worked with Representative Todd Prichard and Senator Waylon Brown to craft the bill, which passed unanimously in the Iowa House and Senate.
In addition to creating a new way for Iowans to register as organ, eye and tissue donors, “Logan’s Law” also requires donation education be included in all hunter education courses. Iowa Donor Network has developed new educational videos about the donation process that Iowa Department of Natural Resources will be incorporating into all hunter education courses. Links to the new videos are below.
Currently, 74% of adults in Iowa are registered organ, eye and tissue donors. Until now, the majority of Iowans registered to be organ, eye and tissue donors at the DMV or online at IowaDonorNetwork.org. In the United States, there are more 113,000 people on the transplant waiting list and an average of 22 people die each day because there are not enough organs available. The new registry, through the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, will make it even easier for Iowans to register as donors and help Iowa Donor Network increase the donor registry and decrease the transplant waiting list.
Video Links
Logan’s Story: https://youtu.be/UvqjZ_5cQO4How Donation Works: https://youtu.be/YXmeJBHWtc4
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