Facebook Organ Donor Status Immediately Shows Real-World Impact

Are you single? Married? An organ donor? Facebook unveiled a new option today that will allow users to declare their organ donor status online.

The new Faceboo organ donor status doesn’t have any legal implications. Doctors won’t be able to comb through social media profiles in order to find donors, but that wasn’t Facebook’s intention. The social networking site said that it is hoping to raise awareness and is encouraging users to sign up as an organ donor.

And it’s already working.

Mercury News reports that more than 900 million people have already chosen the organ donor status on Facebook and California organ donation organizations are already seeing a spike in registrations.

Charlene Zittel, the CEO of Donate Life California, said:

“We are seeing an immediate spike. It’s a great day. The reality is we’re saving lives today and I am so grateful to Mark Zuckerberg for his leadership, for being such a wonderful citizen. This is corporate responsibility.

Donate Life California said that it typically sees about 75 people sign up to be an organ donor online everyday. Today, the day the Facebook status was unveiled online, the company saw more than 400 people register.

In his statement about the new Facebook feature, Zuckerberg wrote:

“Today, more than 114,000 people in the United States, and millions more around the globe, are waiting for the heart, kidney or liver transplant that will save their lives… Many of those people – an average of 18 people per day – will die waiting, because there simply aren’t enough organ donors to meet the need. Medical experts believe that broader awareness about organ donation could go a long way toward solving this crisis. And we believe that by simply telling people that you’re an organ donor, the power of sharing and connection can play an important role.”

If you want to register as an organ donor you’ll have to do more than just select the option on Facebook. To be an organ donor you have to register with your state. (Facebook is providing links to help people register.)

What do you think about the organ donor option on Facebook? Are you an organ donor?