Thanking our community, honoring donors

We have some great news to share. On the 17th of December, we officially surpassed 40,000 lifesaving organ transplants in one year for the very first time. This is not only a historic first for our nation, but a testament to the ongoing commitment of the organ donation and transplant community to serve more patients and save more lives.

Transplant hospitals, organ procurement organizations (OPOs), transplant professionals, clinicians and others have worked together to make this success possible. I also know we share a profound and abiding admiration for the many generous donors and their families who make these selfless, lifesaving decisions every day. While we celebrate this achievement, we also recognize this is an emotional and somber occasion for our donor families, especially around the holidays.

The lifesaving work of this community ensures that the legacies of their loved ones endures.

We are a part of the highest-performing donation and transplant system in the world, and that’s because of the work of thousands of dedicated professionals. With COVID continuing to dominate the news, I hope this milestone serves as a positive reminder that we are making it possible for more patients to live full and healthy lives.

Thank you for everything this community has done to bring the system to this point, and everything we all do to further improve and strengthen the system and save more lives through transplant.