EDITORIAL
Just two words can save the lives of many people

Teenagers usually think they're immortal. But 15-year-old Cory Tumpap of Maui may not have been so sure.

His asthma attacks had worsened, and whether he knew he was not long for the world or not, he performed the mature and unselfish act of designating himself as an organ donor on his driver's license.

At his untimely death on March 25, Tumpap's heart, two kidneys and liver were transplanted into four individuals on the organ recipient waiting list.

In honor of Tumpap, schoolmates say they will designate themselves as organ donors on their driver's licenses, confirming the theory that generosity is indeed contagious.

It doesn't cost anything to add those two simple words — "organ donor" — to a driver's license.

Many Islanders in the past have been reluctant to designate themselves as organ donors for a number of reasons, including cultural and religious concerns.

So as we mark April as National Donate Life Month in honor of the living and deceased organ donors and their families, let's renew a call for organ donors.

For more information, call the Organ Donor Center of Hawai'i at (877) 855-0603 or visit its Web site at www.organdonorhawaii.com.