On February 14, while most of us are occupied with candy hearts and heart-shaped boxes of chocolates, the Donor Network of Arizona keeps its focus on the real thing.

That’s because February 14 is also National Donor Day -- Happy Valventine's Day! -- making it a good time to remind the public that more than 75% of recovered heart valves go to pediatric patients, like Heather. Tissue donation, which includes heart valves, heals thousands of patients every year. Heather was 9 years old when she had her second open-heart surgery, a transplant that included heart valves. She’s now a high-school senior and looks forward to serving her community as an organ and tissue donation advocate.

“Losing a loved one is beyond tragic,” said Julia Young, Donor Network of Arizona spokesperson. “But knowing and fulfilling your loved one’s decision to save lives can be incredibly healing. Registering as an organ donor saves grief-stricken family members from having to make that important decision.”

For nearly two decades, ADOT MVD and Donor Network of Arizona have partnered to educate people about organ and tissue donation and make it easy to register. Today, more than 4.2 million Arizonans are registered donors and about 95% of donor registrations occur when a person applies for or renews their Arizona driver license or state ID card.

Though millions of Arizonans are on the donor registry, it’s vital that people continue to sign up to be donors. Fewer than 1% of registered donors ever become organ donors and so the need for organs to save lives remains great.

Visit DonateLifeAZ.org to learn more about organ and tissue donation and register as a donor.

We don't want to alarm anyone, but Christmas is less than two weeks away. If you still have people to shop for, but are running low on ideas, maybe we can help!

That may seem weird for a state department of transportation to say, but we do have some helpful holiday suggestions for that person that is just impossible to shop for.

As we suggested a couple years ago, if the person on your list had a particular passion, why not get them a license plate to match? With literally dozens of specialty plates that cover a variety of interests including amateur radio, the Girl Scouts and the Arizona Diamondbacks we are sure you can find the right plate for that difficult-to-shop-for person. And the best part? At $25 it's a thoughtful gift that won't break the bank. You even have the satisfaction of knowing that $17 of that is going directly toward the program being supported. In fact, for fiscal year 2020, specialty plates brought in a high of $11.4 million. 

Or, maybe the person you are shopping for has moved away, but is missing the Grand Canyon State. Well, you can cheer up folks braving a winter elsewhere with the gift of Arizona Highways magazine. With its articles on history, suggestions for travel destinations and pages of gorgeous photos, no wonder this magazine keeps wracking up awards. It's the perfect way to bring a little bit of Arizona joy into the home of your loved one all year round. Plus, there is even an Arizona Highways specialty plate if you really want to go all out!

We have an option if you are less about things and more about giving experiences. The best option may be the gift of you and your time. The Adopt a Highway program is a perfect way to bring family and friends together to serve the community and build memories doing something meaningful. It's also a great way to remember friends and family members that are no longer around to share the holidays with us.

The last gift idea is actually one that you may never give someone. If you haven't already, why not consider giving the gift of life? Nearly 4 million Arizonans have signed up to be organ and tissue donors through Donor Network of Arizona, which partners with the Motor Vehicle Division. If your vehicle registration is coming due soon, make sure to check that box to become a donor. It's a charitable act that will definitely get you into the holiday spirit and maybe give someone else a precious gift in the future.

And the best part? All these can be bought and ordered from the comfort of your own home – perfect for the saavy gift-giver trying to avoid retail stores during the current public health situation.

Trust us, it's a lot better than buying socks, ties or even – horror of horrors – a gift card at the last minute.

Did you know that nearly four million Arizonans have signed up to be organ or tissue donors through Donor Network of Arizona?

That’s an incredible number, and if you’re on of those people, thank you. Organ and tissue donations change, and in many cases, save lives. You can see that in this 2015 video about one such organ donor, Michael Choppi.

The Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division has been a partner with the Donor Network of Arizona for many years, and we couldn’t be more proud of what that partnership has accomplished. In fact, last month was ADOT MVD Saves Lives Month, and this is probably our most important partnership.

One of the newer changes we’ve made to encourage people to sign up as a donor when renewing their vehicle registration. Arizona has a unique time frame for renewing a license or ID. Your credential is good until you reach the age of 65, so we see a lot fewer people for this service than other states. But your registration is a different story. You usually have a choice between an annual renewal, two years or even five years. Obviously, that increases the opportunities to interest people in donation. So in 2017, MVD added a donor registration question to the renewal process and registrations increased by about 20 percent.

We talk a lot about some of the innovative ways MVD has improved customer service. Those are great changes, but they pale in comparison to helping Arizonans change and save lives. We hope you’ll thoughtfully consider becoming an organ and tissue donor.

By Ryan Harding / ADOT Communications

For many Arizonans, August marks the time of year to start looking forward to an end to 110-degree temperatures. But it marks something much more significant for ADOT’s Motor Vehicle Division, and we hope it does for you too after reading this post.

Four years ago, the Donor Network of Arizona designated August “MVD Saves Lives Month,” recognizing the Motor Vehicle Division’s role in promoting organ donation.

Ninety-five percent of registered organ donors in Arizona have done so through the MVD, in part because registering is as simple as checking a box on the driver license application.

Today, we shared the story of one donor: Celeste Machiche of Chandler. Shown at right in the photo above, with members of her family, Celeste was known for her infectious smile and generous spirit ‒ and always wearing bright red Chuck Taylors that matched her personality.

Sadly, a month after she registered as an organ donor Celeste was fatally injured in a car crash. But because of her decision to become a donor, her story didn’t end there. Her organs went on to help save four lives.

“Celeste was known for being generous and caring, and her generosity lives on through the lives she saved,” said Pablo Machiche, Celeste’s father.

Since 2003, the Motor Vehicle Division has partnered with the Donor Network of Arizona to promote the benefits of organ donation and to make it as easy as possible to become an organ donor. Today, more than half of Arizona adults have registered as organ donors, up from just 8 percent when the partnership began.

To learn more about organ donation and the great work of the Donor Network of Arizona, please visit DonateLifeAZ.org.

Danelle Weber / ADOT Communications

National Donate Life Month ended recently, and we wanted to share how ADOT's Motor Vehicle Division helped mark this observance as well as how the MVD plays a vital role in encouraging organ donation.

On April 15, National Blue and Green Day promoting organ, eye and tissue donation, Donate Life celebrated a longstanding partnership with ADOT by raising its flag at the MVD administrative office in Phoenix.

About 95 percent of Arizona’s 2.7 million registered donors made that decision by checking the box on their driver license or state ID application. In Arizona last year, 165 organ donors saved 433 lives. Thousands of lives will also be healed by the state’s 2,294 eye and tissue donors.

One donor, Marissa “Roo” Pummill, noticed that box on her application and decided on the spot to become a donor. Because of that decision, six other lives were saved when she passed away. Her mother, Kellye Pummill, was present at the MVD event to tell her daughter’s story.

Nearly 2,500 Arizonans are still waiting to receive a lifesaving organ transplant. Nationally, more than 120,000 people await the gift of life, and this number grows daily.

MVD Director Eric Jorgensen told those attending, "Today we call attention to the great need for lifesaving and life-healing transplants, we honor the many generous individuals and their families who have chosen to share life through donation, and we celebrate the lives that have been saved and healed through these incredible gifts."

More than 50 percent of Arizona’s adult population has said “yes” to one day sharing the gift of life. If you wish to join these Arizonans, you can register as a donor by signing up online at DonateLifeAZ.org. You can also check the box on an application to obtain or renew your diver license or identification card.