CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – It’s organ donation month and Chicopee is raising a flag to bring awareness to life saving donations and encourage the community to register as donors.

Matt Boger of New England Donor Services tells 22News that as of last year, more than a thousand people are alive today because of an organ transplant.

“If it wasn’t for the organ donation that would have never happened, we don’t know how long we would have had him. Even though he lasted only six years, those are six years that he might not have had and for that we’re forever grateful,” said Mary Lou Crowley of Springfield.

She was talking about her son, John, who received a donation within six months after finding out he had pulmonary fibrosis, which is hardening of the lungs, “He was given the gift of life, two lungs on Thanksgiving of 2012.”

Matt Boger from New England Donor Services says one individual who becomes a donor can save about eight lives, “Cornea, skin tendons, these are things that over a million times each year are done to help enhance individuals lives. These are wonderful gift. That heart on your license means that you have a heart and share that love for someone else, to have them be able to continue on life and enhance themselves.”

According to the CDC, some of the most common organs that are transplanted are the kidney, liver and lungs.

Bob Canfield lost his wife to a brain aneurysm. Before she died, Bob said she wanted to donate, “In Suellen’s case, they were able to use her cornea. Two men received the gift of sight because of that gift, they were able to use both kidneys.”

According to Boger, there are 104,000 individuals waiting for a life saving transplant and more than 6,000 people are waiting here in New England.

If you would like to become a donor, you can visit the official Massachusetts website or you can go to the RMV.