Some may find the prospect of donating their organs a little morbid. But according to the Maine Department of Motor Vehicles, there are hundreds of Maine residents waiting for a hearts, lungs, kidneys, and livers right now. By becoming an organ donor, you could save the life of someone like George Carman.

According to the U.S. Department of Information of Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation, most people are healthy enough to be donors. You are never too old, and you should not rule yourself out due to a medical condition.

There are a few different donation types, including organs from living donors, donation after brain death, donation after cardiac death, and whole body donation.

Surprisingly, living donors can contribute quite a few organs, including blood, tissue, a kidney, one lobe of the liver, part or the pancreas, and part of the intestines. This is because living organs regenerate cells, the same way a wound heals.

In Maine, it is easy to become a donor. When you renew your license, you can specify that you would like to be an organ donor. In the event of your death, healthy organs will be harvested and transplanted. An organ donor’s license is marked with a heart, and says “organ donor”.

For more information, visit www.organdonor.gov.