Max Haggerty’s lung transplant last weekend couldn’t have happened at a more appropriate time. April is National Donate Life Month, a campaign by U.S. donor registries and services to educate Americans about the importance of being organ and tissue donors.

Nationwide, while more than 20,000 organs and 1 million tissues and corneas are transplanted in the United States, 18 people die each day waiting for a transplant that doesn’t come in time, said Michael French, public education coordinator for Life Alaska Donor Services, the nonprofit donation organization for Alaska.

Between 175-200 donations are made a year in Alaska, French said.

“If a donor is healthy, in excess of 50 people can have their lives saved or enhanced through that donation,” he said.

Not just major organs are donated, but also tissues such as bone, veins, heart valves, skin, tendons, ligaments and corneas.

Over 296,000 people are registered on the Alaska donor registry, including nonresident workers or active military stationed in Alaska, French said. Almost 95 percent of donors register when they renew or get driver’s licenses or state identification cards. Alaskans can check a box on the back of a license or on vehicle titles to show they want to donate organs or tissues. Donors can register by requesting a form from Life Alaska.

Alaskans over age 18 also can register online through their MyAlaska accounts, the same account used to apply online for Alaska Permanent Fund dividends.

Donors should let families know of their wishes.

“We stress that as well,” French said. “Short of signing up to choose to be an organ and tissue donor, sharing your wish with your family is the second most important thing to do.”

Life Alaska also has an award-winning bereavement program for donor families. Social workers offer free resources to help families in their grief. Life Alaska can let donor families know how their loved one’s gift helped other people and can arrange communication through donors and recipients if both sides desire. Donating a dead family member’s organs often helps people deal with their grief, French said.

“Very frequently it does, especially when they get information about transplants that have occurred following the donation,” he said. “Many families will say that’s a rewarding experience, knowing they’ve been able to help someone through their loss.”

For more information on Life Alaska, visit www.lifealaska.org, or call (800) 719-5433. To register online with a MyAlaska account, visit alaskadonorregistry.org.

Michael Armstrong can be reached at michael.armstrong@homernews.com.