LAKE VIEW, N.Y. — There's a renewed push for more people to sign up as organ donors.
Right now, Donate Life NYS says that 10,000 New Yorkers need a life-saving organ transplant.
Maria Cosen of Lake View shared the story of how her husband collapsed while driving their son from baseball practice.
"They were mid-conversation, my husband was laughing, and it was as if he fell asleep," she said. "And at that moment, my son kind of took control of the wheel."
That was on Jan. 31. Brian Cosen suffered a brain aneurysm with his 14-year-old year old son in the car. Despite attempts to revive him, Brian officially died the next day.
It was the 26th anniversary of his first date with his wife Maria. He was just 46 years old.
Unknown to Maria, Brian signed up to be an organ donor, which has helped her grieving process.
"Our worst day, or two families' best day," she said. "So Brian lives on."
Maria is now spreading the importance of organ donation with Donate Life New York State.
The nonprofit says 86% of New Yorkers support organ donation, but only 48% are registered donors.
"It's not that people don't support this," Donate Live NYS executive director Aisha Tator said. "But it's creating greater access and opportunity for them to document and take action on that support."
Donate Life NYS is expanding the ways you can register. It's not just driver's licenses anymore. Soon, you will be able to register when you sign up for health insurance, and hunting and fishing licenses.
The program helps patients here in Buffalo, where ECMC has the shortest wait for kidney transplants in the country.
"They kind of stand out in a very positive way in New York, in that they have short wait times," Tator said. "But the average in New York is, you're going to wait five to seven years."
Maria is now an advocate for sharing the gift of life. Brian's kidney is inside a woman, and his heart inside a man, both in Virginia. It makes her smile to know that the sprit of Western New York is there as well.
"We joke that that if that man wasn't a Bills fan before, it was Brian's heart," Maria said. "He's got to be one. Now. We were huge Bills fans. Brian had season tickets with my son, so he has to be one now, I might assume."
Maria credits her family, friends, and co-workers at Cheektowaga Sloan Schools, where she teaches. She also says support has been huge from West Herr, where Brian worked.
To register to become an organ donor, click here.