LIVING DONATION
Live Long. Give Strong. Pass Along.
When you register as an organ, eye and tissue donor with Donate Life Maryland, you are choosing to donate your organs and tissues after you die. And, people who choose to be organ and tissue donors are often inspired by the spirit of giving. Here are some other ways you can give the gift of life to others today.
LIVING ORGAN DONATION
What is living organ donation?
Living donation is when a donor gives a kidney, a lobe of lung, portion of the liver, pancreas, or intestine to a family member, friend, or stranger as an alternative to waiting on the national transplant waiting list. Living donation allows more patients to be moved off of the waiting list, thus increasing the existing organ supply.
Why is living donation important?
Each year, less than a third of the patients on the national waiting list receive a transplant, and on average, 22 people die each day while waiting. Our limited supply of deceased donor organs cannot meet growing demand. Living donation is one way we can give more Americans access to the life-saving transplant they need.
Did you know?
- Nearly 6,000 living donations take place each year.
- Some people choose to become an “altruistic” living donor, meaning they donate to someone they don’t even know.
- Living donors can provide a valuable lifeline to those waiting for a transplant.
In Maryland, thousands of people are in need of kidney and liver transplants. While many are successfully transplanted each year, the growing need exceeds the number of kidneys and livers available from deceased donors.
YOU CAN HELP
Living organ donation is a viable option for many transplant patients as there are more persons waiting for a transplant than there are donors. In Maryland, there are two transplant programs that facilitate living donation, the Johns Hopkins Comprehensive Transplant Center and The Transplant Program at the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Choosing to become a living kidney or living donor is a major decision. Health professionals at both the Johns Hopkins Comprehensive Transplant Center and The Transplant Program at the University of Maryland Medical Center can help walk you through the process. For more information contact:
The Johns Hopkins Comprehensive Transplant Center
- To become a living kidney donor, call 410-614-9345.
- For more information visit the Hopkins Medicine Living Donors Website.
- If you have questions about live liver donations, please call 410-614-2989 for more information.
The Transplant Program at the University of Maryland Medical Center
- For living kidney donor information visit the UMM Kidney Living Donor Website.
- For living liver donor information visit the UMM Liver Living Donor Website.
- For additional information about living kidney and liver donations, please call the Transplant office at 410-328-5408.
