ATLANTA—Over 850 patients await organ transplants in Georgia, according to Lifelink, a nonprofit organization that educates and supports research on transplant therapy. The need for transplantable organs, calculated to be over 65,000 people nationwide, exceeds the available supply.

Lifelink reports that almost 20 percent of kidneys used in transplants come from living donors, usually a relative of the person needing the transplant. These donors go on to live normal lives with just one healthy kidney.

The organization encourages everyone to consider becoming a potential organ donor by filling out an organ donation card and discussing one’s wishes with family members. For more information on organ donation, visit Lifelink’s web site at www.lifelinkfound.org or call (800) 262-5775.