In recent years, I’ve worked with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and in both houses of our Legislature in Albany to address a profound public health crisis, a quiet killer that is causing needless death and suffering. Too many of us find it too easy to ignore until it touches our life or the life of a loved one. Turning the tide might require many more of us to consider our own mortality, but doing so affords each of us the opportunity to give another human being the most valuable gift of all— a new lease on life.

I’m talking about our state’s unconscionable organ donation rate.

Before I talk about some important statistics, let me explain to you why this is such an important issue for me. My sister, Teresa, was a two-time organ transplant recipient. First in 2000 because of the kindness of a stranger. The second time, in 2006, I had the privilege to donate a kidney to Teresa. I share this with you because I have seen up close and personal how organ donation can save a life and/or impact the quality of life of an individual and their family. My sister Teresa was lucky, she received two transplants. However, others are not so lucky, and I did not understand just how bad the numbers were until I was elected and saw them for myself. I made a promise that this was an issue I would talk about and work at because this is about saving lives.

However, I do understand many people do not want to think about such an issue, because as I mentioned above, it requires us to think of our own death. Believe me; I understand that is not an easy thing to do. However, let me ask this one question. How might you feel if one of your loved ones was in need of a life-saving organ transplant right here in New York? Then ask yourself how you feel as you hear some of the statistics I mention below. I hope your answer is how can I help? I will explain how you can do that, but first, let me share with you some of the statistics right here in New York.

There are 52 state/district and territorial registries across our country. New York is ranked 51 of 52 registries; only ahead of Puerto Rico. The national average for individuals enrolled in their state’s organ and tissue donation registry is 50 percent. However, right here, only 28 percent of New Yorkers are registered. Compare that to the 90 percent of Montanans who register, or the 89 percent of Alaskans who sign up.

Without context, these numbers are deeply frustrating. They become tragic when you consider our state’s acute need for donors. We have the third-highest need for organs, but the second-worst registry numbers. There are nearly 10,000 New Yorkers currently on a transplant waiting list. More than 1,800 of them have been waiting for more than five years. We know these delays are deadly. Last year, nearly 500 men, women and children died waiting for a life-saving organ transplant that never came. That’s about one death every 15 hours.

However there is good news. First, did you realize that one person who donates at the time of their death can save up to eight lives and impact up to 50 others? In Albany, my colleagues and I have worked tirelessly over the last few years with advocacy groups like New York Alliance for Donation, Donate Life NY, donor families and transplant recipients to learn more about the specific challenges facing the organ and tissue donation community in New York State. We’ve partnered with them to raise awareness in the Capitol. In recent years, this dialogue has translated into meaningful, bipartisan legislation.

Last year, we passed legislation allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to register as organ donors. This year, we made Lauren’s Law permanent— a landmark piece of legislation requiring those who are filling out a driver license application to answer if they would like to become an organ donor (when individuals are not allowed to skip the question, they’re more likely to say yes.) We created an online registry, and just last week Gov. Cuomo announced plans to modernize it, streamline it and make the web portal more user friendly, at the same time he signed the legislation to make Lauren’s Law permanent, and directed state agencies to find more ways to get the question in front in front of New Yorkers and ask them to enroll.

We’ll continue to work tirelessly to enact legislative solutions that tear down the barriers to enrollment and make signing up as convenient as possible, but you don’t need to be an elected official to make progress happen. For starters, you can sign up to become an organ donor at the Donate Life NY Web site or by stopping by your county’s DMV. You can encourage friends and family members to join you and you can promote the cause on social media. Every bit of outreach matters and every person who enrolls in the registry can make a profound impact.

Signing up is easy, it’s quick, and it’s the right thing to do. What do you have to do today that is more important than saving a life?