LANSING (WWJ) – Organ donation registrations are up in Michigan, with a 25 percent increase in June compared to a year earlier. More than 35,000 people joined the registry last month.

Secretary of State Ruth Johnson said it was the second month of major increases this year, but more work needs to be done.

“A lot of people think because they sign the back of their driver’s license that that meant you were on the organ donor registry but it does not. Unless you’ve got a red heart on your driver’s license, whether its old or new, whether it’s a piece of tape or the one embedded, you are not on the list,” Johnson said.

About 3,000 Michigan patients are currently waiting for organ transplants. Just one organ and tissue donor can save or enhance the lives of more than 50 people.

For more information on organ donation, visit www.michigan.gov