Like most teenagers, Carlo Leo was anxious and ecstatic to get his drivers' license. However, the lure of the open road and the freedom every teen dreams of weren't his only motivation.

Leo, now 22, of Bellevue, wanted to make sure that if anything happened to him, he wouldn't be buried with all of his parts.

On the same day he first received the piece of plastic symbolic of maturity and freedom, he made the most mature decision of his young life -- he became an organ donor.

"It would be dumb not to do it," Leo said. "If I could do some good after I passed away, why not? Why just leave my organs sitting in my body?"

More than 97,000 Americans are on organ waiting lists, according to the Center for Organ Recovery & Education. Last year, approximately 10,000 transplants were performed, said Holly Bulvony, director of corporate communications and public education at CORE. There just aren't enough donors available for those who need organs.

"It's so simple. It takes 90 seconds to be signed on," Bulvony said. "It's simple, it's secure and it's the right thing to do."

Bulvony said she hears a lot of misconceptions about becoming an organ donor, one of the most popular being that the donor is too old. There is no such thing as "too old" to be an organ donor -- often times, elderly corneas and various organs can be used despite a donor's age.

"We try to educate people and let them make up their own minds," she said. "It's a personal decision."

Often, those who know someone in need of a donor are the first to step up and sign up. Bulvony said candidates on organ waiting lists often have family members, friends and community members who are quick to sign up.

"Once they have made the decision to donate, they can save or enhance up to 50 peoples' lives," Bulvony said. "They truly can give the gift of life that lives on beyond their own lives."

While Leo was simply doing what he felt was right when he checked the box saying "organ donor" on his drivers' license application six years ago, he knows that having someone close to you need an organ can be a strong motivator. After a close friend's father needed a kidney transplant, he knew he made the right decision to leave a lifesaving legacy.

"I can save someone's life by being an organ donor," Leo said. "Why not do some good instead of being selfish and not doing anything?"