Written by: In the Community

Couple Hopes to Save Lives While They Drive

David and Janet Weinstein, both kidney recipients, love to travel and share the lifesaving message of organ, tissue and eye donation wherever they go. Their cars proudly display decals promoting the donation cause, and thanks to 2020 legislation granting the opportunity, they hope to soon add a Donate Life Florida specialty license plate to their vehicles, so they can save lives while they drive.

Legislation allowing for a specialty plate representing Donate Life Florida, which oversees the state’s organ, tissue and eye donor registry, requires the presale of 3,000 license plate vouchers within a 24-month timeframe before production can begin. “We purchased two plate vouchers online,” said David, “There is such a need for organ donation. Unless someone in your family needs an organ transplant you may not really be conscious of the need. Getting the license plate will be a way for more people to be aware of donation.”

David and Janet understand the need firsthand, as both of them suffered from Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) prior to receiving a second chance at life, which so far has provided them with a combined 32 additional years of renewed health. “Kidney transplant saved our lives,” said Janet, “my hope is that the plate will help strike up a conversation with people we meet in our travels so we can encourage others to register as donors.” David shares, “We are so thankful for our organ donors and their families, having the opportunity to display this plate would be a way for us to honor them. It’s our way of saying thank you and sharing with others that organs are needed.” 

“When we secure the Donate Life Florida license plate, $25 from each plate sold will support donation education across the state and help manage the donor registry,” said Ashley Moore, chairwoman of Donate Life Florida. The Donate Life Florida specialty plate voucher is $33 and can be conveniently purchased from anywhere in the state, online at https://pay-hub.net/stlucie/donatelife, thanks to the support of the St. Lucie County Tax Collector office or in person during a scheduled appointment at a local tax collector or driver license office.

There are more than 107,000 patients awaiting organ transplants across the nation, and of those, more than 5,000 are listed at transplant centers in Florida. For more information on how you can purchase the Donate Life Florida specialty plate voucher, or how to register to become a donor, visit www.DonateLifeFlorida.org

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Tags: , Last modified: February 12, 2021