During the holiday season, many families enjoy the undeniable warmth that is generated simply by being together. Whether gathered around a dinner table or a Christmas tree, this special time of year highlights the importance of family and the wonderful gift of sharing and giving. This is also a season of charity. The same love that binds us to family and friends calls us to look outward on our communities and make a real difference. Many families want to help others who are struggling during a difficult time, crisis or tragedy, but sometimes they’re not quite sure what they can do to help or make an impact. This year, I have a suggestion.

Please consider registering as an organ donor today.

The choice to enroll this year can ensure that next holiday season, a family’s gathering is full of laughter and fellowship and without the sorrow and heartache that is an unfortunate byproduct of a long waiting list for critical organ and tissue donations.

The act of signing up seems so simple. With a quick click of the mouse or the stroke of a pen on a routine visit to the DMV, you can sign a new lease on life for someone truly in need.

Unfortunately, in New York, we need to do a much better job of outreach and education to show the importance of organ donation to our residents as our numbers are, quite frankly, abysmal. I understand this is an issue that many people really don't feel comfortable discussing because we are talking about one's own death. However, if we can do a better job of reaching out, sharing personal stories and showing the incredible impact being an organ donor can have on so many of families all across our state, we will make an incredible difference. I mentioned above that this is an issue many people do not want to talk about, and I understand that. I only ask you to think for one moment about how you would feel if one of your loved ones was in need of a live-saving organ transplant.

You’d feel even worse after reading some of these statistics.

About 600 New Yorkers die each year waiting for a transplant. Nearly 10,000 New Yorkers are waiting anxiously for the transplant that could change their life. More than 1,500 New Yorkers have been waiting for more than 5 years. Only 23 percent of our population is registered to donate at the time of their death, less than half of the national average of 50 percent. We’re a far cry from Montana’s impressive 87 percent clip. In fact, we rank an abysmal 51st of 52 American states and territories, ahead of only Puerto Rico.

We can, and must, do better. Now think of this positive statistic. One person who chooses to donate at the time of their death can save up to 8 lives and impact up to 50 others. Think about the impact you can have on a family in desperate need of a life-saving organ transplant. We can all save lives by registering to become an organ donor today.

Over the past few years, my colleagues and I on both sides of the aisle have worked together to achieve some meaningful progress. I was pleased to co-sponsor legislation to extend Lauren’s Law, a successful provision that requires those applying for or renewing a driver’s license to answer the question of whether or not they want to sign up to become an organ donor. People are far more likely to become donors if they are required to make an active choice.

Additionally, I am so glad that an important bill allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to enroll in the organ and tissue donation registry passed both houses of the Legislature and was signed into law by the governor this summer. This new law will still protect parents’ decision making authority until the child reaches 18, and is important for two reasons. One, it can create an opportunity for parents to talk to their children about the important issue of organ donation. Second, by allowing 16 and 17 year olds to register at a time when so many are getting their driver's license, it will certainly help increase the pool of eligible donors for our state's organ donor registry.

You may ask wonder this is such an important issue for me. For me, promoting organ and tissue donation isn’t just good public policy. It’s personal.

My older sister Teresa was a two-time organ transplant recipient. First, in 2000, from a kind and generous stranger who was a registered organ donor. The second time, in May of 2006, I had the privilege of donating a kidney to Teresa.Years of fighting juvenile diabetes had taken its toll on her body, and I consider myself lucky I was able to help her when she really needed it. Unfortunately, I lost my sister in 2013 from the many complications of Juvenile Diabetes. Although we lost her too soon, the quality of life for her and her family dramatically improved because she received a transplant.

I’ve seen firsthand the profound impact a transplant can have on someone who’s fighting for survival. I know well the profound impact it can have on the family members who are fighting to save their loved one. My sister was actually lucky to receive one transplant, let alone two. Some of our New York family members and neighbors aren't so lucky. You read those statistics. I did not realize how bad the situation was until I was elected to the New York State Assembly. We must maintain our commitment to this important issue in order to help with outreach, education, awareness and funding to improve our organ donor registry numbers so that others can benefit from organ donation as my sister did. But we need your help to do that. And if we do, we can continue to save lives.

During this holiday season, I have a simple question for you to consider: what can you do that is more important than saving a life? To help make sure that, somewhere, a family, maybe even your family, won’t have to sit down to a holiday dinner at a table with an empty chair. Together we can do this. Together we can encourage our friends and neighbors to enroll. Together we can save lives.

To register as an organ donor today, visit your local DMV, log on to the New York State Donate Life registry at https://apps.health.ny.gov/professionals/patients/donation/organ/DonorRegistration.action, or call 1-866-NYDONOR.

Thank you for your time and consideration and may God Bless you and your family during this special holiday season.