Douglas County Sheriff's Office recognized with national organ donor award
Submitted by Kelsey Penrose on Wed, 04/19/2023 - 12:45pm
In recognition of National Donate Life Month in April, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) is continuing to elevate the donate-life message for Nevadans. In addition to debuting a custom donate-life decals on a sheriff’s office vehicle for the second year in a row, the sheriff’s office was recently presented with an award from the Nevada Donor Network—a statewide not-for-profit organization that facilitates organ, tissue, and cornea donations statewide.
“It’s a huge honor to be presented with this award,” said Sheriff Dan Coverley. “Perhaps more rewarding, though, is seeing how much of an impact the Nevada Donor Network has had on our community. This program connects generous donors with recipients to offer lifesaving resources, and I’m proud that DCSO is helping to champion this effort.”
On Monday, April 17, the national Platinum Level Partner Award was presented to DCSO by Nevada Donor Network Community Development Manager Monica Myles and Partner Liaison Kim Flores, in recognition of the Department’s widespread donate-life messaging. In attendance to receive the award were Sheriff Dan Coverley, Sergeant Will Lynch, and Captain Ron Michitarian.
The impetus of the award was DCSO’s efforts to raise awareness about organ, eye and tissue donation and the importance of donor registration. In addition to registering as an organ donor through the Nevada DMV, residents are encouraged to register at nvdonor.org/dcso. This allows people to be a part of a national network of registered donors—allowing donors to stay in the system, even if they relocate.
In Nevada, about 62 percent of adults are registered to be an organ donor, while the national average is around 54 percent. Even with those numbers of registered donors, there’s around 637 Nevadans currently waiting for a transplant, and more than 100,000 Americans waiting for a transplant nationally.
“The reality is that we need more people from different backgrounds to register, because that can help greatly with the matching process,” Myles said. “We also want to encourage people to start these sometimes-difficult conversations with family members ahead of time, so people’s wishes are understood if the time ever comes.”
According to Myles, the program has far-reaching impacts. One organ donor can save up to eight lives, one tissue donor can heal around 75 people, and one cornea donor can give sight to two people.
The Sheriff’s Office wants to remind residents that even if they are registered as an organ donor through the Nevada DMV, you may click here to reaffirm your wishes on the national donor registry. Learn more about the program by visiting nvdonor.org.
