More than fifteen-hundred Pennsylvanians received lifesaving organs from registered donors last year. One donor can save eight lives, anyone of any age can donate organs and there is no cost to donors for organ or tissue donation. Nonetheless, 395 Pennsylvanians died in 2016 while waiting for an organ transplant.

In recent years, there have been many efforts to broaden the donor pool - from registering as a donor with driver's license renewal to proposing tax incentives for registering as a donor. A bill proposed in the state General Assembly last year would streamline the process of harvesting organs. The proposal was opposed by the state's 67 coroners who felt that rushing the harvesting prevented them from properly performing autopsies and compromising criminal prosecutions. That bill was tabled indefinately.

Advocates of organ donation, with the support of state lawmakers, rely primarily on education to get Pennsylvanians to register as organ donors. On Friday's Smart Talk, We'll speak with Richard Hasz, Vice President of Clinical Services with the Gift of Life Donor Program about the need for organ donation and efforts to connect donors with recipients. Republican State Representative John Galloway of Bucks County proposed a provision that would offer a tax credit to donors. He will join us on Smart Talk to discuss the merits of the proposal and we'll explore the ethics of organ donation with Dr. Michael Freeman, director of pediatric dialysis services and a clinical ethics consultant at Penn State Children's Hospital.

We will also be joined by Central Pennsylvanians who will share their experiences as donors and recipients of much needed organs and how these donation programs changed their lives. Joe Gargiulo is a retired school administrator who recieved a life saving kidney and pancreas transplant. Whitney Baker donated one of her kidneys to a lifelong friend suffering from renal failure. They will share their experiences with organ donation.