Statistics
- More than 114,000 people are currently waiting for life-saving organ transplants in the United States, including 3,000 Ohioans. Those waiting would more than fill the Ohio State University football stadium.
- The national transplant waiting list grows at a staggering rate, as one person is added to the list every 10 minutes.
- 20 people die every day waiting for an organ transplant. One Ohioan dies every other day waiting for their gift of life.
- More than 33,000 people have their lives saved through organ donation every year, and over 1 million people benefit from tissue transplants annually.
- One person has the power to save 8 lives through organ donation and heal 125 more through tissue donation.
Frequently Asked Questions
For more information about donation, please visit our FAQ section.
Donation process
Only one percent of people will die in a way that allows organ donation to be possible, so Life Connection of Ohio’s staff is focused on maximizing every gift.
The hospital contacts the recovery organization to provide notification of every death. The procurement transplant coordinator on call receives information about the person and determines whether he or she is medically suitable for organ, eye and tissue donation. If so, the coordinator obtains the person’s wishes from the Ohio Donor Registry, if available, and consults the family to carry out the process. If the person’s wishes are not available, the coordinator offers the option of donation to the family. If the decision is made for donation, the person’s medical/social history, blood tests and other medical evaluations are coordinated to determine which organs and/or tissues can be donated, and the matching process begins. Once the recipients are identified, the coordinator makes arrangements for the surgical recovery of organs and/or tissues. Once the recovery is complete, the body is prepared for the funeral home.
For a visual representation of which organs and tissues can be donated, visit The Interactive Body.