New York Organ Donor Network
Home
About Us
Organ and Tissue Donation
Overview
Organ Donation Facts
Tissue Donation Facts
Gift of Life Stories
How to Become a Donor
National Programs
Contact Us
Contact Us
Transplantation
Gift Of Life Stories
News and Events
Enroll in NYS Donor Registry
Information Center
Volunteer
Financial Contributions
Info By Audience Type
DataData Myth vs. FactMyth vs. Fact Religious ViewpointsReligious Viewpoints Diversity IssuesDiversity Issues  
Your Family Needs to KnowYour Family Needs To Know   Deciding for a Loved OneDeciding For A Loved One
Overview: The Need for Organ, Eye, and Tissue Donors

  • Nearly 100,000 men, women and children are waiting for organs for transplantation in the United States (kidneys, livers, hearts, lungs, pancreas and intestines).


  • Of these, more than 8,000 are in New York State, and approximately 7,000 of them live in the greater New York metropolitan area (the area served by the New York Organ Donor Network).


  • Thousands more need eyes and tissues such as heart-valves, skin and bone.


  • One organ donor can save up to eight lives. One tissue donor can save or improve the quality of life for up to 50 people.


  • Nationwide, 69 percent of the families consent to organ donation. (Source: HRSA Breakthrough Collaborative) By comparison, and highlighting the even more critical shortage in New York, the organ donation consent rate in the greater New York metropolitan area (which is served by the New York Organ Donor Network) in 2007 was 58%.


  • Each day, an average of 18 people who are waiting for organs in the United States, die because no organs could be found for them. This means that each year, more than 6,000 people die in the United States waiting for organ transplants.


  • Every 13 minutes, a new name is added to the national waiting list for organs in the United States.


Download a PDF version of Quick Facts about Organ, Eye and Tissue Donation

 

Back to top
<<Back to Data
 
 

Address: 132 West 31st Street , 11th Floor, New York, NY 10001 | Phone: 646.291.4444 | Fax: 646.291.4600
24-hour Referral Line/Public Information: 800-GIFT-4-NY