The heart sticker is placed on the front of the license or ID card where it is readily visible. It designates the person's wish to be a donor and alerts law enforcement, emergency responders and hospital personnel of the choice. Michigan law supports residents' rights to make their own donation decisions -- no further consent is required once they enroll on the registry.
"Organ donation can be a tough subject to talk about, but its benefits are literally lifesaving," Land said. "That is why we're eliminating any barriers to enrolling and making the process as simple as possible. A single donor can save or enhance the lives of up to 50 people, so the decision of one individual can deeply touch many people. We want everyone to say 'yes' to donation and 'show us their heart.'"
The Michigan Organ Donor Registry is a confidential database of residents who wish to be organ donors, which is maintained by the Department of State. Anyone wishing to add his or her name may do so online or at any Secretary of State branch office.
The department has revamped its organ donation Web site, allowing users to enroll on the registry and request a replacement heart sticker if the original one is ever lost. It also provides several resources to help educate visitors about the critical need for donors, including such topics as myths, minority issues, statistics and links to state and federal donor advocates.
Public Acts 140-143 of 2005 authorize the department to place a heart insignia on the front of the driver's license or state identification card of everyone who agrees to be an organ donor. The laws were enacted to enhance the state's efforts at promoting organ donation awareness and increase the number of names on the donor registry.
"The heart sticker campaign would not have been possible without the support of the Legislature and organ donor advocates such as the Gift of Life Michigan and Michigan Eye-Bank," Land said. She also explained that it is important for anyone who has added his or her name to the registry in the past to re-enroll. This will ensure that their donor registration is current and that they receive the heart sticker.
