More than 123,000 people in the country need an organ transplant. And it turns out Idahoans are signing up in big numbers on the donation list.
According to figures released Monday, the Idaho Transportation Department says more Idahoans, 64 percent, sign up to donate their organs, compared to the national average of 51 percent.
In 2016, Idahoans donated 169 organs to those in need. That’s up from 113 in 2015.
The Idaho Donor Registry reports that 22 people die every day while waiting for a transplant. About 800 people in Idaho are on the waiting list. Since the Gem State doesn’t have a transplant center, those in need usually travel to Portland, Seattle, Denver or Salt Lake City.
Anyone can sign the donation registry at any county DMV site when they get their Idaho Driver’s License or State ID card.
Find Samantha Wright on Twitter @samwrightradio
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