In March, Clark County hit 88.9 percent of eligible residents registered as organ donors.

“We lead the state,” said Circuit Court Clerk Paula Joslin. “We have a goal to reach 90 percent donor registration by the end of 2017, but what I really want to see is every eligible person in Clark County registered as an organ donor.”

Joslin believes the key is education, ensuring that people know the facts about organ donation so that they can make informed decisions and let their families know their intentions. To create a more thorough understanding of organ donation, the Clark County Circuit Clerk’s office and Trust For Life have planned their second-annual Generations of Hope event.

This year will feature a panel in a town hall-style setting at the Clark County Extension Office from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, April 27.

The panel will include medical professionals, religious leaders, a funeral director, an attorney, donor family members, a living donor, transplant recipients, and an individual on the waiting list for a kidney transplant. The public will have an opportunity to write questions that the Trust For Life team will present to the panel once the event begins. People can remain anonymous but still have their questions about organ donation answered.

It’s a less formal atmosphere than last year’s Generations of Hope, but with the same intent: answering questions and replacing myths about organ donation with the truth. All Clark Countians are welcome to attend. The event is free and open to the public.

“People are six times more likely to need a transplant than they are to become an organ donor,” stated Joslin. “And when the time comes, I know I won’t need my organs anymore.”

For more information about organ donation in Kentucky, visit: TrustForLife.org