Do the math: Organ donation just adds up
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Despite vast advancements in medical technology and transplantation, the need for organ, eye and tissue donations still greatly outnumber the supply. Organ donation is a life-long gift that can help save the life of one of the more than 120,000 Americans in need of an organ donation. How? Let us count the ways:
Organ Donation: The Need
121,000: Number of men, women and children currently awaiting a transplant in the United States
100,000+: Number of people on the waiting list in need of a kidney
30,973: Organ transplants performed in the U.S. in 2015
14,414: People who donated organs in the U.S. in 2014
22: Number of people who die every day while waiting for a transplant
In 2015, the annual number of organ transplants in the U.S. exceeded 30,000 for the first time ever — an increase of 5 percent from the previous year. That’s great news for patients, but for the thousands still on the waiting list, there’s still a long way to go.
The Impact of Organ Transplants
1 million: Number of people who have had their sight restored with corneal transplants in the past half century
79: Average number of people who receive a transplanted organ every day
50: Number of people that can receive eye and tissue donations from a single donor
41: Percentage of organ recipients under age 50
6.1: Percentage of organ recipients age 17 and under
8: Number of lives that can be saved with organs from a single donor
More than eight in 10 organ donations come from a deceased donor. By registering to be an organ donor, one person can make a big difference. A donor can provide their kidneys, pancreas, liver, lungs, heart and intestines — enough organs to save up to eight people. In addition to organs, bone, skin, heart valve and corneal tissue can be donated to save and enhance lives. Living donors can also save lives by donating a kidney or portions of their liver, lung or intestines.
Donate Life: Making a Difference
$3 billion: The amount seven U.S. government agencies have invested in bioengineering research in the past three years to advance our understanding of wound repair and organ regeneration and preservation
120 million+: Number of people in the U.S. registered to be organ donors after their deaths
$0: Cost to donors and their families to donate organs or tissues
1: Number of new donors you can add to that list if you register to be a donor now
People who need organs are added to the waiting list every day, but the list of registered donors is not growing as quickly. The good news: It only takes a few minutes to register to be a donor. Every new name on the list — including yours — helps narrow the gap.
Learn more about UCLA’s Transplantation Services.
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