Law may help
boost organ donations

By Helen Altonn
Star-Bulletin

A bill signed into law today offers hope for increased organ and tissue donations, says Tony Sagayadoro, who has waited four years for a kidney transplant.

The new law, signed by Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono, a registered organ donor for more than 20 years, has two key features:

It gives the state's organ and tissue recovery program access to state drivers license data to determine if a patient is an organ donor.
It provides for a voluntary $1 donation for education to be collected for each motor vehicle registered.

"This new law will help every family in an emotionally difficult situation make a serious decision about organ donation," said Hirono.

Studies show not knowing what their loved one wanted is the chief reason why families decline to donate, she said.

"By allowing access to the drivers license data base, the recovery agencies and families will know whether individuals designated themselves as organ donors."

"The funds raised by these voluntary donations will go a long way to raising public awareness and helping us overcome erroneous beliefs and superstitions," Sagayadoro said.

Among obstacles cited to organ donations are religious myths and misconceptions, distrust of treatment of minority groups by health care professionals and concerns that doctors will be more interested in getting transplant organs than saving a patient.

"Education is helping," Sagayadoro said, noting increasing acceptance of organ donation in the community.

About 200 Hawaii residents of all ethnic backgrounds are waiting for heart, liver, kidney, pancreas, cornea or bone transplants.

Nine organ donors so far this year have given 17 kidneys, three livers and one heart for transplantation.