Letter from the Chair

Dear Fellow Missourians….

On behalf of the Missouri Organ Donation Advisory Committee, I am pleased and honored by your interest in the Missouri Organ Donor Program.

Since its inception in 1995, the Missouri Organ Donor Program has developed a record of outstanding service of which all Missourians can be proud.

The hallmark of the Program is the creation and maintenance of a highly functional donor registry database that has allowed thousands of families of recently deceased individuals to find their loved ones wishes regarding organ and tissue donation.  This knowledge has, in turn, saved or enhanced the lives of thousands of Missourians in need of organ or tissue transplants.

The Missouri Department of Revenue has worked tirelessly to provide the opportunity to designate one’s wishes at the time of driver’s license or vehicle plate renewal, and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has made the Registry a highly functional tool for transplant agencies and donor families.

Over 2.2 million Missourians have already allowed their names to be placed on the Organ Donor Registry, and the number continues to grow. The Advisory Committee is proud to serve as citizen advisors to these two great state agencies. Together, we will continue to develop the Registry and increase donation awareness, with the goal of saving and improving the lives of even more of our fellow Missourians.

Your support and encouragement are deeply appreciated.

With greatest respect,

Ron Walkenbach, PhD
Chair, Missouri Organ Donation Advisory Committee