Figures recently released by LifeSource, the St. Paul-based nonprofit organization that manages organ donations for the region, reveal that after being flat for several years, organ donations in part of the Upper Midwest increased by 23 percent in 2005.

That is truly good news for the 90,600 people on the waiting list for organs nationally.

We applaud those people who, in time of trauma and extreme sorrow in their lives, were able to see what a loved one’s organs and tissues could do to make the lives of others healthier and happier.

Legal authorization for organ donations can come from donors themselves who opt for the organ donation checkoff on driver’s licenses. Families also can give consent, but that’s more likely to happen in relationships where people discuss their wishes before death occurs.

According to statistics, more than one-third of last year’s organ donations were authorized through drivers license checkoffs.

We urge families to talk about their wishes in case of an accident or sudden death.

Organ and tissue donation truly gives someone a new lease on life. We applaud those who give this gift to others in a most difficult time.