Care For PA

Pennsylvania's health care professionals have the ability to help save and improve the lives of fellow residents every day though their work at more than 250 hospitals across the state. Whether you are a health care professional or not, every person has the ability to make a difference in someone's life...the ability to "donate life.�? How? By becoming an organ donor.

Organ and tissue transplants offer patients a new chance at healthy, productive, normal lives and return them to their families, friends, and communities.

Organ transplantation is one of the most remarkable success stories in the history of medicine. But despite continuing advances in medicine and technology, the need for organs and tissue is vastly greater than the number available for transplantation. Did you know that:

• Almost 100,000 men, women, and children currently need life-saving organ transplants.


• Every 12 minutes another name is added to the national organ transplant waiting list.


• An average of 18 people die each day from the lack of available organs for transplant.


• In 2005, there were 7,593 deceased organ donors and 6,895 living organ donors resulting in 28,108 organ transplants.


• In 2005, 44,000 grafts were made available for transplant by eye banks within the United States.


• Approximately 1,000,000 tissue transplants are performed annually.

Though 90 percent of Americans say they support organ donation, only 30 percent know the essential steps to take to be a donor.

Learn the Facts

Despite continuing efforts at public education, misconceptions and inaccuracies about donation persist. Learn these facts to help you better understand organ, eye, and tissue donation:

• Fact: Anyone can be a potential donor regardless of age, race, or medical history.


• Fact: All major religions in the United States support organ, eye, and tissue donation and see it as the final act of love and generosity toward others.


• Fact: If you are sick or injured and admitted to the hospital, the number one priority is to save your life. Organ, eye, and tissue donation can only be considered after you are deceased.


• Fact: When you are on the waiting list for an organ, what really counts is the severity of your illness, time spent waiting, blood type, and other important medical information, not your financial status or celebrity status.


• Fact: An open casket funeral is possible for organ, eye and tissue donors. Through the entire donation process the body is treated with care, respect, and dignity.


• Fact: There is no cost to the donor or their family for organ or tissue donation.

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