Math? I’ll Never Use That When I Grow Up…

As a young student I spent the majority of my math classes trying to convince my teachers that I wouldn’t need to know fractions, percentages or calculus.  Addition and subtraction?  That’s what calculators are for. 

Many years later, as the Community Outreach/Partnership Coordinator for Lifeline of Ohio I handle many responsibilities such as working with our Bureau of Motor Vehicles partners, our National Donor Sabbath outreach, the Workplace Partnership for Life program and providing informational programs to community and school groups. 

While I enjoy working in all of these areas, there is one particular area that I have grown to love: managing our Ohio Donor Registry statistics.  I look forward each month to receiving our statistic reports from the Bureau of Motor Vehicles so that I can see how registrations have improved over the previous month.  And recently, Ohioans have been registering in record numbers!

The months of May and June 2010 have seen the highest donor registration rates yet for Lifeline of Ohio’s service area: 57.1 percent in May and 57.2 percent in June.  The State of Ohio has also seen dramatic increases topping out at 56.6 percent in May and 56.7 percent in June!  Who wouldn’t want to be the bearer of this great news to our hard working staff, Donate Life Ambassadors and many other supporters? 

After receiving these reports each month I am responsible for a variety of reporting to our State of Ohio team, our Bureau of Motor Vehicles partners, our Lifeline of Ohio management team and to our Communications team.  Looking at new and renewing registrant data by age, gender and geographic location helps us to determine where our community education resources should be focused

Although we have seen steady improvement in registration rates since the creation of the Donor Registry in 2002, we still have a lot of work to do.  While 66 percent of Ohioans think they are registered organ, eye and tissue donors, the cumulative data report tells us that of those who have obtained a license or state ID card in the last four years, about half of them are actually registered.  I encourage you to take a moment to pull out your license or state ID card and check to see if the heart appears on the lower right hand corner of your license.  If it does not, more than likely you are not registered.  You can add your name to the Ohio Donor Registry by going online, by filling out a paper enrollment form (available at all Bureau of Motor Vehicle agencies or by calling Lifeline of Ohio at 1-800-525-5667) or by saying “yes” the next time you renew or receive your driver’s license or state ID card.  One person can save up to 8 lives as an organ donor at the time of their death.  And heal more than 50 others through tissue and eye donation.   You do the math! 1=8+50.  It’s a powerful equation.

Thanks to those who are already registered organ, eye and tissue donors.  You give hope to the 108,000 plus Americans waiting for a life-saving organ transplant.  And thanks also to my math teachers growing up.  I guess you’re right, I am using math in my day-to-day life.  And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

- Lauren Fitting, community outreach/partnership coordinator

By admin on 8/19/10, In Uncategorized