SIOUX CITY, IA -
You probably use Facebook every day to keep in touch with friends and family, but now you can use it to help save lives.
The social networking site will now let everyone know if you're an organ donor, it's a new feature that gives more meaning to your everyday status update.
Facebook added the new feature Tuesday. It allows users to share if they're organ donors, and even helps them register to become one if they're not.
"This is going to be a great tool, not only for us in Iowa, but I think really for organizations like ours throughout the country," said Chris Keahi, a Community Development Specialist with the Iowa Donor Network, an organ donation organization based out of North Liberty, Iowa.
There's been an overwhelming response for the new feature so far.
Tuesday California saw the number of people signing up to become organ donors jump more than 1,400% compared to Monday, according to Donate Life California.
The timing couldn't be better, there are more than 114,000 people waiting for organ transplants nationwide, 625 in Iowa.
Even with those numbers, the folks over at the Iowa Donation Network say it's something most people just don't think about.
"Either they know somebody who has become a donor or they know somebody who's waiting for an organ," said Keahi. "So it's not one of those issues that's really front of mind."
If you'd like to share your organ donor status on Facebook it's easy, but you have to have the new "Timeline."
First click on "Life Event" on the left side of your timeline page, right above where you update your status.
Next, click on "Health and Wellness."
Finally you can click on "Organ Donor" and fill out the information.
If you're not an organ donor already, there's a link on the right side of the page where you can sign up.
You can even decide which of your friends gets to see if you've signed up or not with a special message that will pop up on your timeline if you do decide to share your decision.
Supporters say it's a way to reach the most people with little effort, hoping Facebook's more than 900 million users can help save lives.
If you want to become an organ donor, but would like some more information first.You can visit these web sites:
Organ donors in Iowa can visit: http://www.iowadonorregistry.org/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
Organ donors in South Dakota can visit: http://www.life-source.org/
Organ donors in Nebraska can visit: http://www.nedonation.org/
