In 2006, more than 6,000 transplant candidates - one person every 90 minutes - died while awaiting transplantation. Right now, 18 people die every day waiting for a transplant. Many of these patients may have lived if the families of every medically suitable potential donor had said "yes" to donation. According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), across the country there are currently nearly 100,000 individuals waiting for a life-saving organ transplant. As of February 2007, about 20% of the waiting list are children younger than 18 years of age. The need for kidneys tops the list, followed by liver and heart. Transplant hospitals place individuals on the national waiting list after they are given careful medical evaluations. Each month, approximately 500 people in the United States are added to the national waiting list.
If you live in California, make sure you are signed up as an organ donor:
https://www.donatelifecalifornia.org/profile/login/
If you live elsewhere, do a search for organ donor and find out how to sign up.
No comments:
Post a Comment