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General Statistics

General Statistics on Organ and Tissue Donation
The need is great and you have the opportunity to say "YES" now – become an organ and tissue donor.

One Donor Can…
Facts and Figures
Progress in Pennsylvania
Say "Yes" to Organ and Tissue Donation – Sign Up Now!

One donor can:

• Donate kidneys to free two people from the dialysis treatments needed to sustain life.
• Save the lives of patients awaiting heart, liver, lung or pancreas transplants.
• Give sight to two people through the donation of corneas.
• Donate bone to help repair injured joints or to help save an arm or leg threatened by cancer or other illness.
• Help burn victims heal more quickly through donation of skin, and provide healthy heart valves for someone whose life is threatened by malfunctioning or diseased valves.
• Give more than 50 people a second chance!
• To make a difference – Say "Yes" to Organ and Tissue Donation – Sign Up Now!

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Facts and Figures

• Nationally, more than 104,000 men, women and children are waiting for an organ transplant that can save their lives. Eightteen of them die each day because an appropriate match wasn’t found in time.
• The organ transplant waiting list in Pennsylvania includes more than 7,900 people. Still thousands of others wait for a tissue transplant that will greatly enhance the quality of their lives.
• Of all the deaths in the United States, only one to two percent has the potential to result in organ donation. Among the estimated 10,000 to 12,000 people who are considered medically suitable for organ donation when they die each year, only an estimated 6,000 donate.
• One organ, tissue and eye donor may save up to eight lives and help more than 50 people.
• An individual may be able to donate organs, tissue or corneas even if he is not considered a medically suitable blood donor.
• The greatest need is for kidney transplants, with more than 87,000 people on the waiting list. Following this, the liver, lungs, and heart respectively are in greatest demand for transplantation.
• During the past 10 years, the transplant waiting list has more than doubled in the United States, with more than 104,000 people now needing heart, kidney, liver, lung and pancreas transplants.
• Tens of thousands of other people need corneas to restore sight, bone and other tissues to repair injured or diseased bones and joints, skin to heal burns, and heart valves to replace diseased ones.
• Eighty-five percent of the population supports organ donation, and there is strong support from health care professionals and all organized religions. However, in Pennsylvania only 45.25% have placed the organ donor designation on their learner’s permit, driver’s license or state identification card. Fewer still have discussed the issue with their families.
• If everyone said "yes," the waiting list for transplants would be greatly reduced.

Progress in Pennsylvania

• Pennsylvanians are now able to register as organ donors online, rather than having to go to driver license centers. Say "YES" Now – Become an Organ Donor!
• Between September 2008 and September 2009, 1,424,924 Pennsylvanians said yes to organ and tissue donation, and added the designation to their driver's license.
• The "Life Begins with You" education and media campaign, sponsored by Pennsylvania’s Departments of Health and Transportation, Center for Organ Recovery & Education and Gift of Life Donor Program, continues to raise awareness about organ donation and motivate Pennsylvanians to sign up as organ donors through radio ads, strategically placed billboards, outreach to faith-based, minority and workplace communities and other targeted efforts to increase the number of registered organ donors.