Did you know that 95% of U.S. adults support organ donation but only 58% are registered as donors? Currently, there are 5,938 people in the State of Florida waiting for an organ. St. Lucie West Centennial HS HOSA students are looking to change those statistics.
All too many times, we hear of a friend, or a family member, or a neighbor needing an organ transplant. Occasionally, our community loses someone too early to a tragic accident. The St. Lucie County Tax Collectors office along with their Chief Deputy and long-time school administrator, David Washington, have forged a partnership with St. Lucie Schools to encourage teens to consider becoming organ donors when they go to their local tax collector’s office to get their driver’s license or state ID card.
Allied Health program students from St. Lucie West Centennial High School recently invited Cynthia Hacker, a representative from Life Alliance Organ Recovery Agency, University of Miami to speak in classes and at the school’s quarterly blood drive.
“Because our students are interested in a healthcare field and because they are of driving age, we thought it would be important to educate them about this topic,” explained Allied Health teacher Elizabeth Durkee. “Our goal is to help them make a more informed decision on becoming a registered organ donor.”
The HOSA-Future Health Professionals chapter will also help spread the word about the importance of organ and tissue donation by sharing this important message around campus.
If you would like additional information, please go to the registry link www.donatelifeflorida.org. You can also use this link to sign up to be a donor.
