National Pediatric Transplant Week - Donate Life America

National Donate Life Month – April 2022
Donation and Transplantation Statistics

● In 2021, more than 41,000 transplants from 20,300 donors brought renewed life to patients and their families and communities.
● More than 100,000 people are waiting for lifesaving organ transplants.
● 60% of patients awaiting lifesaving transplants are minorities.
● Another person is added to the nation’s organ transplant waiting list every 9 minutes.
● 17 people each day while waiting for a transplant. 6151 transplant candidates died in 2020 while on the national transplant waiting list
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● 85% of patients on the waiting list are waiting for a kidney. The average waiting time for a kidney from a deceased donor is 3 to 5 years. A kidney from a living donor offers patients an alternative to years of dialysis and time on the national transplant waiting list (the living donor’s remaining kidney will increase in size, doing the work of two healthy kidneys).

● 11% of patients waiting are in need of a liver. Living donation of part of the liver can help these patients (the remaining portion of the donor liver will regenerate and regain full function).

● More than one-third of all deceased donors are age 50 or older; 7% are age 65 or older.
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• More than 2.5 million lifesaving and healing tissue transplants are performed each year, offering patients a new chance at healthy, productive, and normal lives.
● A single tissue donor can help more than 75 people.
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● More than 85,600 corneal transplants help to restore sight each year.
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● More than 170 million people are registered organ, eye and tissue donors.*
To register your decision to save and heal lives through organ, eye and tissue donation, visit RegisterMe.org. To learn more about organ, eye, tissue and living donation, visit DonateLife.net.
* Living donation is not included in your deceased donor registration.

Data sources:
Based on OPTN data as of January 10, 2022; https://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/
2020 Annual Data Report. Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients; https://srtr.transplant.hrsa.gov/annual_reports/Default.aspx Accessed March 2022.
Donate Life America 2021 Registry Overview Report as of February 28, 2022.