Immortal Phi Gam Project

Why Organ Donation Is Important

The Need is Critical

• Approximately 79 organ transplants take place every day in the United States.
• Just over 10% of all organ recipients were between the ages 18-34 years.
• Sadly, an average of 21 patients die every day while waiting, simply because the organ they needed is not donated on time.
• On average, 150 people are added to the nation’s organ transplant waiting list each day—one every 10 minutes.
• More than 123,000 people are currently waiting for an organ transplant in the U.S.
• More than 1,000 of them are 10 years old or younger.
• About 11,000 are between the ages of 18-34.

Every Registered Donor Makes a Difference

• On average, a single donor can save or heal the lives of up to 50 people through organ, eye and tissue donation.
• More than 28,000 patients began new lives in 2013 thanks to organ transplants.
• Roughly 198 patients per day have their sight restored through corneal transplants.
• More than 1 million tissue transplants are done each year and the surgical need for tissue has been steadily rising.
• There are more than 30,000 tissue donors and 60,000 cornea donors per year.
• Nearly one third of all deceased organ donors are between the ages 18-34 years.
• Another one third of all deceased donors are 50 or older; nearly 8% are 65 or older.
• A living donor can provide a kidney or a portion of their liver, lung, pancreas or intestine.
• According to UNOS, “successful transplantation often is enhanced by the matching of organs between members of the same ethnic and racial group.” In 2013, minorities represented 40% of people who received organ transplants, but made up only 30% of living and deceased organ donors. More than 69,000 minority patients are currently registered on the U.S. organ transplant waiting list.
• More than 119 million people, approximately 49% of the U.S. adult population, are registered organ, eye and tissue donors.