House Call: Organ, Tissue and Cornea Donation Pt. 3

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va (WDTV) - Welcome back to UHC’s House Call on WDTV. April is National Donate Life Month, which honors donation. In the final part of our three part series, Jeremy Zeiders, Pofessional Service Liason of CORE, joins us to talk about organ, tissue and cornea donation.

1). Let’s talk about organ donation by the numbers. How many people across the nation are waiting for a transplant?

CORE’s goal is to end the deaths of those on the transplant waiting list, all the while maintaining integrity for the donation process, dignity for the donors, and compassion for their families. The number of people across the country who are waiting for a life-saving transplant is 100,000. In West Virginia, that number is approximately 500 people.

2). How often are people added to the national transplant waiting list?

Every 10 minutes is how often someone is added to the national transplant waiting list. Unfortunately, approximately 20 people die each day waiting for an organ transplant. Although 90 percent of Americans say they support organ, tissue and cornea donation, only 30 percent know the essential steps to take to become a donor. However, a single donor can save up to 8 lives.

3). If there are 100,000 people who are waiting for a transplant, how many are awaiting tissue and cornea transplants?

In addition to organ donation, there is also tissue and cornea transplants, the number of people awaiting tissue and cornea transplants is 250,000 people, daily. The number of lives that can be either saved or healed is 75 by a single organ, tissue, and cornea donor.

This National Donate Life Month, we are asking the public to be part of this interconnected, life-sustaining community by registering as an organ, tissue, and cornea donor; and championing the Donate Life cause. Visit core.org/register and enter the necessary registration information online, it only takes about a minute.

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