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Sadly, an average of 17 people die each day due to a lack of available donated organs. Every organ and tissue donor can save and enhance the lives of up to 50 people. By becoming a donor, you have the power to change someone's life for the better.

People of all ages and medical histories should consider themselves potential donors. It is possible to donate life to others as a healthy, living kidney donor or a partial liver, lung or pancreas donor. For other donations, your medical condition at the time of your death will determine what organs and tissue can be donated.

Donated organs include the heart, pancreas, kidneys, liver, lungs and intestines. Organs are distributed based upon medical information like blood type, body size and tissue type matching through a national computer network operated by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS).

Donated tissue replaces bone, tendons and ligaments lost to trauma, cancer and other diseases. Donated corneas are needed to restore sight. Skin grafts help burn patients heal and can often mean the difference between life and death. Heart valves repair cardiac defects and damage. All tissue is distributed based upon patient need, availability and medical criteria.

It is illegal to distribute organs based upon non-medical information such as wealth, citizenship or celebrity status. It is also illegal to buy or sell organs and tissue for transplantation in the United States.

In the Carolinas, an organ donor indication on your driver's license is NOT legally binding. In order to ensure your wish to become a donor, you will need an official donor card from LifeShare of the Carolinas, the state's official link between those awaiting transplants and the donors who make those transplants possible.