(an email from Nebraska Medicine)
Organ Donation Saves Lives
Understand the need for organ donation:
April is National Donate Life Month, a time to honor all organ donors. But organ donation isn’t only possible after death. Living organ donation allows a healthy person age 19 or older to donate a kidney or part of their liver to someone on the transplant waiting list.
Most living donors donate to a family member or friend, but some choose to donate to someone they don’t even know.
Did you know:
- More than 100,000 people are on organ transplant waitlists across the U.S.
- There are over 400 people currently on the Nebraska Medicine waitlist for a kidney or liver transplant.
- Every eight minutes, another person is added to the national transplant waiting list.
- 13 people die each day while waiting for an organ transplant.
Learn about becoming a living organ donor. ~ nebraskamed.com
Why living organ donation matters:
Living organ donation allows a donor to give a life-changing gift. It also offers significant health benefits for recipients.
- It can reduce someone’s wait time for an organ transplant.
- Donating a kidney can prevent or shorten the need for dialysis in patients with kidney disease.
- Surgery can happen when it is most convenient for the recipient and donor.
Living organ donation is a uniquely rewarding experience and an opportunity to save a life. Before deciding to donate, it’s important to learn as much as possible about living donation. Read our list of common questions about living organ donation.
Related Posts/Article:
Why did I choose to donate? ~ Jeff
Read Jeff’s journal entries about his kidney donation
When the Donor Match Isn’t Perfect, a Chain Can Be
Surgeon says living kidney donation could cut 3–5 year wait for transplant ~ kvia.com
