A new tool is available that will make it easier for Kentuckians to become registered organs donors and has the potential to save many more lives through the gift of organ donation.

The Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates and the Kentucky Circuit Court Clerks’ Trust for Life announced Wednesday the launch of an all-new online registration portal for organ donors.

Kentuckians can register to become an organ donor at kog.chfs.ky.gov.

This new tool comes after Senate Bill 77 was signed into law last year and allowed for the state’s organ donor registration to expand to an online platform.

Residents can still become organ donors by signing up when they renew their driver’s licenses at the circuit court clerk’s office.

It is critical that we continue to evolve our processes in this technology-driven society. By allowing people to register as organ donors online, we believe more and more people will be inclined to become donors.

This also reaches a new population of individuals who are not licensed drivers and may not be renewing a license or ID anytime soon but want to become organ donors.

It also allows individuals to register to be an organ donor at any time, rather than being inclined to wait until it is time to renew their license to make the change.

After all, for the thousands of people waiting on Kentucky’s organ donation list, time is of the essence.

Today, there are more than 114,00 Americans and 1,000 Kentuckians awaiting a life-saving organ transplant. Every 10 minutes, someone is added to the waiting list. The list continues to grow and exceed availability, according to Donate Life Kentucky.

Every day, 22 people die waiting on an organ transplant.

The good news is one organ donor can save up to eight lives and one tissue donor can help heal more than 50 people.

Every year, more than 1,000 Kentuckians have their eyesight restored through a cornea transplant.

However, only three in 1,000 people die in such a way that allows for organ donation, meaning the need continues to increase.

While 97 percent of Kentuckians have a positive view of donation, only 85 percent say they would like to donate and just 59 percent have actually joined the Kentucky Donor Registry.

This new tool could help boost those numbers and save more lives.

Editorials represent the opinion of the newspaper’s editorial board. The board comprises publisher Michael Caldwell and Bluegrass Newsmedia editors Whitney Leggett and Ben Kleppinger. To inquire about a meeting with the board, contact Caldwell at 759-0095.