When a loved one passes away, the last thing any family member wants to think about is what is going to happen next.

But depending on the situation, the family will receive a call from the Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency asking them to help save a life.

Organ donation can be a foreign concept to some people, but it is a vital part of saving the lives of thousands of Americans waiting for a transplant.

When you first get your license or whenever you go back to renew it, the staff at the Department of Public Safety often asks if you want to become a registered organ donor.

This isn’t a question to be brushed off lightly by just responding with a quick “no.”

Becoming an organ donor is easy to do and could save up to eight lives or improve the lives of 50 others in the event of your death.

If you say yes, a little red heart will be printed on your license letting emergency personnel know that in the event of a fatal accident, you would like your organs to be donated to save or improve the life of another.

According to the MORA, anyone can be a potential donor, no matter your age or medical history. All major religions also support organ donation as a way to provide a final gift of life for others.

Over 1,400 people in Mississippi are waiting for a transplant.

While signing up as a donor today might not reduce that number immediately, preparing for the future is the right step.

Organ donation is nothing to be afraid of, it will never interfere with how you receive medical care.

Making the choice today to become an organ donor could one day lead to saving a life and giving someone else a future.