April 10, 2025
In the video below, Assemblyman Phil Palmesano talks about his sister Teresa, who was an organ recipient in 2006, and the importance of organ donations. This has been a huge cause with the Hornell native and state assemblyman, for over a decade.
(If you are one of the many people who are getting a new driver’s license, remember that you can sign up to be an organ donor when you get your license at the DMV.)
Here are some statistics, Palmesano has talked about, on this subject:
There are 103,000 people nationally on the organ donation waitlist;
Nearly 8,000 of those are New Yorkers;
1,100 of those New Yorkers have been waiting for more than five years;
New York is ranked 50th out 52 states and territories in terms of enrollment in the country;
New York has a donor enrollment rate of 47%, while the national rate is 64%;
New York has the 3rd highest need for organ donors but has the 3rd worst enrollment rate;
Unfortunately, nearly 400 New Yorkers died in 2023 while waiting for a life-saving organ transplant; and
Most importantly, one person who donates at the time of their death can save up to eight lives and impact the lives of 75 others through eye and tissue donation.
