How Needed is Organ Donation?
As of July 2012 there are currently 114,712 Patients Waiting for life saving organs. Of those, 64,292 are Multicultural Patients who can be especially difficult to match and 1,737 are Pediatric Patients. Each day, 13 of them will die because the organs they need have not been donated. Every 16 minutes, a new name will be added to that waiting list.
The good news is that 28,535 Organ Transplants Performed in 2011 from 14,144 Organ Donors. In addition, more than 46,000 corneas were transplanted in 2011.
Long wait lists result from low rates of opt in to the donation process, the special circumstances required to allow organ harvesting, and the difficulting in finding safe matches for some patients.
If you have more questions about organ donation, or are interesting in making your wishes regarding donation known and included in your disability and estate plan, contact us for a free 1/2 hour consultation. We can be reached at (206) 459-1908 or [email protected].