When I was 16 and first went in to get my license, I was asked if I wanted to register as an organ donor. Not knowing exactly what it meant I had to do and wanting to get out as soon as possible, I said no.

I recently got my notice to renew my license in the mail, as my 21st birthday is quickly approaching. Along with the renewal notice came a sheet of paper with instructions. The sheet also included a paragraph saying to consider becoming an organ donor when I renew my license. After seeing that, I thought, "Why am I not already an organ donor?"

I went to renew my license and during the long, two-and-a-half hour wait to do so, a man was handing out pamphlets giving even more information about registering as an organ donor. Bored out of my mind, I read it over and after seeing all of the benefits it offers to those in need, I decided to register when I was finally called up.

Registering to be an organ donor is so simple, and anyone can do it; they don't discriminate based on your age or health. If something happened to you and you died, your medical history will be evaluated to determine if you are eligible to donate. Your organs would then be removed and preserved after your death to help someone in need. Even with organ removal, you could still have an open casket funeral if that is what you wanted.

Being an organ donor would help to make a big difference in people's lives. Just one donor can save up to eight lives. After you die, your organs could help to save other's lives. You could help to save the life of a mother, a father, a child, a wife, a husband, anyone.

The waiting list of people waiting for organ donations continues to grow each and every day. With the number of people that need organs in order to survive and have good health, more people should register to be an organ donor. There are over 116,000 people in the U.S. who are on the organ waiting list as of August 2017, and it is estimated that around 20 people in the U.S. die each day while waiting for an organ.

Even though 95% of adults in the U.S. support organ donation, only 54% are actually registered donors. Thinking about death is uncomfortable to many people, but just consider the positive impact you can have after your death if you register as an organ donor. You could give someone an organ they need to survive and help the many people on the list who are waiting for a donor.

I encourage everyone reading this to consider registering as an organ donor.