by Gail Ellison, MHA, RRT
Solid Organ Transplant Manager
April is National Donate Life Month, and Primary Children’s will be celebrating this important month at our main medical campus during the week of April 9th-13th. We will also be providing a lot of information and stories about the difference organ donation can make on our blog this month.
You might think you have heard everything about organ donation, but did you know:
- An average of 79 organ transplants happen each day in the U.S.
- Last year, more than 28,500 patients began new lives thanks to organ transplants.
- A single donor can save or enhance the lives of up to 50 people.
- Living donors account for 6,000 to 7,000 transplants annually.
- An average of 18 patients die every day waiting for an organ.
- More than 113,000 patients are currently waiting for an organ.
In the pediatric population the number of patients dying while waiting for a transplant was as high as 282 in 1998. But, with focused efforts to decrease that number, in 2011 deaths on the wait list dropped to 92. This is incredibly exciting! Much work has been done to bring awareness to healthcare providers as well as the public to increase donation.
The high number of people on the waiting list for transplant far outweighs the number of available organs. It is important to make people aware of this need through education and advocacy. This incredible “Gift of Life” is a way to honor loved ones as well as allow their gift to live on. Donation has the ability to turn a very difficult situation into a positive one.
Earlier this year, a Donor Memorial Bench was placed in the Angel Garden by the North Entrance of Primary Children’s. This bench honors those who have donated organs.
Our hope is to promote a greater interest in donation while fostering an impact on the local and national waiting list. As a transplant center and donor hospital, Primary Children’s has a vested interest in supporting organ donation. This memorial honors those who have given the gift of life to others, as well as help raise awareness for this important goal.
Transplantation has saved and enhanced the lives of more than 600,000 people in the United States. In 2011, Primary Children’s Medical Center performed: 6 Heart Transplants, 13 Kidney Transplants, and 7 Liver Transplants.
Living donation (transplanting all or part of an organ from a living person) has dramatically increased the number of transplants performed. In addition, there are now policies to encourage more efficient use of available organs, such as “splitting” livers from deceased donors to allow two recipients to be transplanted.
The only long-term solution to the organ shortage is for more people to sign up and become organ donors. Efforts to foster the public’s knowledge and commitment regarding organ donation is actively supported by many organization, but it really needs the investment of the general public to make a difference.
Consider signing up to be an organ donor today. If you live in Utah, you can sign up online at www.yesutah.org, or call 866-YES-UTAH. If you live in another state visit the national Donate Life registration page to find out how to sign up in your area.
