When it comes to giving the gift of life, Ohioans gave even during the pandemic.
According to Lifeline of Ohio, since the beginning of the pandemic, it saw over 50 organ donors help more than 150 lives.
Andrew Mullins, Chief Operating Officer for Lifeline Of Ohio says people often ask if can you still donate if you’ve recovered from the coronavirus.
“If someone had COVID-19 and they recovered from it each one of those cases is discussed with our medical director and ultimately it’s up to the transplant center to make the decision to transplant or not we are seeing more and more transplant center are transplanting after a period of time of recovery,” he said.
There are 113,000 people waiting today in the U.S. for a lifesaving organ.
Twenty people die every day in the U.S. because an organ did not arrive in time.
In Ohio, more than 3,000 are waiting for a lifesaving organ.
Kidney is the most needed organ locally and nationally.
- 2,305 of those are kidneys
- 547 are waiting for a liver
- 190 are waiting for a heart
- 73 are waiting for a lung
- 34 are waiting for pancreas
- 23 are waiting for an intestine
People of color account for more than half of those on the waiting list, and African Americans are three times as likely to suffer from kidney disease.
Everyone can register to be an organ, eye and tissue donor at the BMV or at www.lifelineofohio.org.