Heidi Weeder, BSN

UPMC Williamsport Intensive Care Unit

Every day, we move through life expecting immediacy like fast answers, quick deliveries, and instant updates. For more than 100,000 people across the United States waiting for an organ transplant, time moves differently. Each hour can mean a step closer to hope.

The latest data paints a clear picture:

• More than 100,000 people remain on the national transplant waiting list.
• Every eight minutes, someone new is added to that list.
• Thirteen people die each day still waiting for an organ that never arrives in time.
• One donor can save up to eight lives and help more than 75 others through tissue donation.

The United States continues to make historic progress. In 2024 alone, over 48,000 transplants were performed, marking another year of record-breaking transplant activity and continued momentum toward expanding the donor pool. These gains show what’s possible and highlight the gap between need and availability.

Behind every number is a parent, a child, or a friend, and behind every donor is a ripple effect of healing that reaches far beyond one life.

Ways to Donate

Living donors have the extraordinary ability to shorten a patient’s wait by offering a kidney or a portion of their liver. These procedures not only provide an earlier path to healing but also rely on the body’s remarkable abilities — the liver regenerates, and a single kidney can sustain a full, healthy life. Living donation has become an essential pillar in reducing time on the national waiting list.

When someone registers as an organ donor, their final act can transform lives. Deceased donors may provide vital organs including the heart, kidneys, liver, pancreas, intestines, and lungs as well as tissue like corneas and bone. Despite advances, deceased-donor organs remain in limited supply, making each registered donor profoundly important.

Your Role in Saving Lives

Registering as an organ donor is one of the most impactful decisions you can make. Even those with chronic illness or advanced age may be eligible to donate, as medical teams evaluate each donor individually.

Here’s how you can contribute today:

• Add your name to the donor registry.
• Share your decision with loved ones so they understand your wishes.
• Advocate during Donate Life Month in April or through community events.
• Support organ donation awareness and education efforts.
• Encourage living donation where appropriate and help highlight its life-changing potential.

If you’re ready to learn more or take the next step, visit UPMC.com/DonateLife.

Heidi Weeder, BSN, is a senior clinician with the Intensive Care Unit at UPMC Williamsport and co-chairman of the Organ and Tissue Donation Council of UPMC in North Central Pa. For more information, visit UPMC.com/DonateLife.