Two thousand people are waiting for a lifesaving transplant in Louisiana. But a shortage of organ donors remains a big obstacle. With that in mind, The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) has introduced a new option for people buying a hunting or fishing license to become an organ donor during the purchasing process.
It’s all part of Senate Bill 411, which passed unanimously in both chambers. The measure became Act 348 after Governor Jeff Landry signed the bill May 28 and it took effect August 1. Wildlife and Fisheries Undersecretary Bryan McClinton explains, “An annual license, that will give those individuals an opportunity whenever they check out on our website, it’s going to say, ‘would you like to be an organ donor?’ And they have that opportunity to, you know, save someone's life.”
The legislation is known as “Willie’s Law,” named in honor of Willie McKenzie from Brusly, Louisiana in West Baton Rouge Parish. McKenzie is currently waiting for a heart transplant. The Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency (LOPA) posted a photograph on social media of McKenzie, joined by his wife Emily, and their family in the signing ceremony.
Looking at organ donation on a national level, according to donatelife.net more than 100,000 people are waiting for lifesaving organ transplants. The agency reports that every 8 minutes another person is added to the national transplant waiting list, while 5,600 people in the U.S. die each year while waiting for a transplant. The figures also reveal that 86% of patients waiting are in need of a kidney.
