April 16 is National Healthcare Decisions Day. It’s a day that encourages people to think about their future and make their health care decisions known. While these conversations can be hard, they are important. Planning ahead means making confident, meaningful choices that reflect who you are and what matters most to you.
A powerful choice
One of the most powerful decisions you can make is to register as an organ and tissue donor. It’s a simple step that has the potential to save and heal up to eight lives, turning one person’s legacy into hope for the many others waiting for a transplant. By registering your decision, you ensure your health care decisions are honored when the time comes, and you give your loved one’s clarity and peace of mind — less decisions to make on your behalf.
Behind that decision is an important safeguard. The Uniform Anatomical Gift Act ensures that an person’s documented choice to be an organ and tissue donor is legally binding and honored. That means when you say “yes” to donation, your decision is documented, protected and carried out — helping remove uncertainty for your family during an incredibly difficult time.
Letting others know
Once you’ve made your choice, talk about it.
Talking about your wishes doesn’t have to be hard. Whether it’s with a family member, friend or your doctor, sharing your decision to be an organ and tissue donor helps ensure your choice is understood and honored by those you care about.
By sharing your decision, you’re not only making your wishes known, you may also inspire others to say “yes” to donate and help save lives as well.
Addison’s Intentional Choice
Adison Leigh Rayburn wholeheartedly understood the power of sharing life, and she made sure to share that decisions with the ones she loved.
“She actually registered to be a donor twice,” her parents, Rob and Shannon Rayburn, say — a testament to just how intentional her choice was. For Adison, saying “yes” to donation wasn’t an afterthought. It was a deliberate decision rooted in who she was: compassionate, curious and committed to helping others.
In December 2023, Adison passed away following a severe asthma attack. Through her registered decision to be an organ and tissue donor, she saved the lives of three people and gave additional gifts to research, creating a legacy that continues to make a difference.
“She was one of the brightest, most curious kids,” Shannon says. Her family believes Adison would be overjoyed knowing she helped save lives. What brings them comfort now is also knowing her decision was clear, documented and unmistakably her own.
The Rayburn family shares that donation has had a lasting impact on them as well.
“It has helped to know that not all of our daughter is gone,” Shannon says.
Adison, an animal lover, lived with her girlfriend of five years and their two cats. She was bright, curious and unapologetically herself, and in the end, her final act reflected that same spirit of generosity.
Her story is a powerful reminder that registering as a donor is more than a checkbox. It’s an intentional choice that can one day save lives and bring hope to others.
Take the Next Steps
At its heart, planning ahead is about care—for yourself and for the people who love you. When you document and share your decisions, it eases uncertainty, strengthens confidence and ensures those decisions are honored.
Choosing to register as an organ and tissue donor carries that same spirit forward. It’s a powerful way to say, “This is who I am,” and “This is how I want to help.”
Register as an organ and tissue donor today at DonateLifeAZ.org or next time you visit an Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Services office to apply for or renew your driver’s license or state ID.