You can make a difference by becoming an organ, eye and tissue donor.
Why should I sign up?
The number of patients waiting for organs changes every day. As of September 2024, the number of patients on the national transplant waiting list was more than 103,000. Every 8 minutes, another person is added to the list.
The number of patients who need a lifesaving transplant goes up faster than the number of available organs.
How can I make a difference by signing up?
Signing up to be an organ donor means you may someday be able to help others in need. Just one donor can provide lifesaving organs to up to eight people. One donor may also impact the lives of others with tissue donation.
Not everyone who signs up as a donor is able to donate. In fact, only three in 1,000 people die in a way that allows for organ donation after death.
Why does a diverse donor pool matter?
More than half of the patients on the transplant waiting list are people of color. It will take a diverse donor pool to save them.
Because of factors like unequal access to health care, people of color are more likely to face health conditions that raise their risk of organ failure. An organ transplant is sometimes the best—or only—option for saving a life.
Transplants require organ donors, and finding matching donors is a challenge. While it’s not required, donors and recipients are more likely to have matching blood and tissue types when they share a racial or ethnic background.
This is why a diverse donor pool is so important.
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