Speak Out: Would You Share Your Organ Donor Status on Facebook?

You may be familiar with the tiny heart on a driver's license marking the bearer as an organ donor. Now you'll find that same tiny heart on Facebook, too.

Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive of the social networking giant, announced Tuesday that the company had added the ability to register as an organ donor and declare that status in one's profile.

According to The Washington Post, the new initiative was motivated by Zuckerberg's relationship with his girlfriend and Apple's late co-founder, Steve Jobs. Both encouraged him to use Facebook as a means for spreading social awareness.

Facebook explained the decision in a statement:

“More than 114,000 people in the United States, and millions more around the globe, are waiting for the heart, kidney or liver transplant that will save their lives. Many of those people—an average of 18 people per day—will die waiting, because there simply aren’t enough organ donors to meet the need. Medical experts believe that broader awareness about organ donation could go a long way toward solving this crisis.”

To update your timeline with your organ donor status, add a new “Life Event.” From there, scroll down to the “Health & Wellness” section and choose “Organ Donor.”

Users can also register to become an organ donor through Donate Life America, a non-profit partnered with Facebook on the project.