A coalition of health organizations on Monday launched Florida’s first statewide campaign to increase organ donor registrations, citing low enrollment and a growing transplant waitlist as key challenges.

The campaign seeks to raise the state’s organ donor registration rate to at least 50 percent. Current data shows fewer than two in five Floridians opt in to the state’s donor registry when applying for or renewing a driver’s license, with the lowest participation rates reported in densely populated regions such as southeast and southwest Florida. The initiative, timed with the start of National Donate Life Month, is led by Donate Life Florida and backed by private donors and media partnerships.

“Life is such a precious gift, and organ, tissue, and eye donation are such a selfless way to share that gift to extend and enhance the lives of others,” said Patricia Darrigan, chairwoman of Donate Life Florida.
“Too many Floridians are dying while waiting for a transplant. Signing up takes just a moment – but that one moment can change so many lives and extend the legacy of every donor.”

Donate Life Florida manages the state’s official donor registry, the Joshua Abbott Organ and Tissue Donor Registry, under statutory authority. Floridians can register to donate organs, tissue, and eyes through the organization’s website or at local tax collector offices during license or ID transactions. The registry was established to streamline consent and coordinate donation across transplant centers.

More than 5,000 Florida residents are currently on waiting lists for organ transplants. Health officials say one organ donor can save up to eight lives, while tissue and eye donations can help dozens more. Registration is free and does not affect medical care or funeral arrangements. Most major religions support donation as an act of compassion.

The campaign is partially funded by a private gift from the family of Aimee Sachs, a Tallahassee woman who became a donor following her death in 2023. Sachs’ liver, kidneys, and other organs were transplanted to three recipients, including a Brevard County mother who credits the donation with saving her life. A public service announcement featuring Sachs is being released as part of the campaign.

“I literally would not be here today if not for the generous organ donation of a young woman whose life ended far too soon,” said Kris Vanni, of the Brevard County community of Scottsmoor, who received a Sachs died following a massive stroke on May 31, 2023. “If not for Aimee’s incredible gift, my husband would be raising our sons by himself, and I would not be able to watch them grow. That’s the difference organ donation can make – giving life to others and saving families, too.”

Former Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, whose late husband was also a donor, endorsed the effort and said broader participation would help meet the state’s ongoing demand for transplants.