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Promoting the importance of organ and tissue donation is a top priority of my office. One single donor can save or enhance the quality of life for 25 people. I will remain committed to saving lives of those on the waiting list today, as well as those who may end up on the waiting list tomorrow.

Related News

White visits to promote organ donor program

July 23, 2010

MARION — The state of Illinois has more heroes, millions of them, than any other state — and the number is growing.

Stopping at Rent One Park in Marion to promote the Illinois’ Organ and Tissue Donor Program, Secretary of State Jesse White said Illinois leads the nation in organ and tissue donation with 5.3 million registered donors.

White applauds SBLHC for organ donation efforts

July 22, 2010

MATTOON - Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White recognized Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center Wednesday for its "level of commitment" to organ donations.

White also used his office's role as administrator of the state's organ donor program to encourage people to register as donors. He mentioned several statistics, including how an average of 300 people die every year waiting for an organ transplant.

"One person can provide quality of life for 25 individuals," White said. "When you can give someone a second chance at life, you qualify as a hero."

'A second chance at life' for twins, others on the transplant list

April 2, 2010

BY MONIFA THOMAS Staff Reporter

Identical twins Luke and Jake Swanson of Arlington Heights have the same big blue eyes and fine blond hair, though Jake wears his curly.

Unfortunately, the 17-month-olds also share a potentially fatal liver disorder.

They're thought to be the first twins in North America to be diagnosed with biliary atresia, which blocks the ducts that carry bile from the liver to the gallbladder.

The disorder, which occurs in one out of every 10,000 to 20,000 births, is not thought to be genetic.

Organ-donor list grows to 3.2 million

June 11, 2009

More than 3 million people have signed up for Illinois' two-year-old organ and tissue donor registry.

Since the new list was created in 2006, prohibiting survivors from changing the deceased's donor wishes, more than half of the 6 million registrants cut out from the donor program are back.

EDITORIAL: Donate organs, and end a painful wait

January 24, 2008

No one likes to wait. It's a hurry-up world.

But eventually the waiting line shrinks, the traffic jams clear, the e-mail arrives, the phone call comes, and our lives go on as usual.

There are those, however, for whom the waiting is stressful, painful. They know they can't wait much longer, because each day that passes without help brings them closer to death.

They are the 4,500 people in Illinois who are on the waiting list for an organ transplant.

New drivers licenses, ID cards offer more security

November 1, 2007

Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White unveiled newly designed state drivers licenses and identification cards with enhanced security features. The design incorporates multiple layers of security, as well as an inventory control mechanism that ensures Illinois drivers' licenses and ID cards will remain among the most secure in the nation.