12/08/2024
Nineteen years ago today we lost someone very dear to us, a young man who passed away while he and all of us who loved him waited and hoped for a liver donation that never came.
Although some of Charlie’s organs could not be harvested for donation due to the nature of the disease that took his young life, his bones, tissue, muscles and eyes were, so other individuals could enjoy a better quality of life.
In Charlie’s memory, every year on this date I make a plea to everyone who reads this post and has not already done so, to make the important decision to register to be an organ donor. And every year on this date, I continue to be overwhelmed by the newest statistics that so clearly reveal the many reasons that we should all consider giving the precious gift of life to others.
The numbers are staggering.
There are currently more than 100,000 women, men and children on the national transplant waiting list.
Patients on the Waiting List by Organ (Last review March 2024)
Organ Needed
Kidney 89,101
Liver 9,862
Pancreas 832
Kidney/Pancreas 2,054
Heart 3,436
Lung 943
Other* 213
*Other includes kidney/pancreas and allograft transplants like face, hands, and abdominal wall.
17 people die each day waiting for an organ transplant.
Every 10 minutes another person is added to the transplant waiting list.
Organ donors can be deceased or living.
According to a sample of the U.S. population, 90% of adults support organ donation but only 60% are actually signed up as donors.
One deceased person can donate up to 8 lifesaving organs: Heart, 2 lungs, liver, pancreas, 2 kidneys, and intestines.
Additionally, one tissue donor can potentially improve the quality of life for 75 or more recipients.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP SAVE LIVES:
Register in your state.
Talk to your family and friends and encourage them to register.
Make your wishes known to your friends and family.
Get the word out on social media and help raise awareness of the importance of donation.
To register, or for more information on organ and tissue donation, please refer to: organdonor.gov
