Organ Donation and Transplantation
The demand for healthy organs far exceeds the number of organs available for transplantation. Across the United States, more than 100,000 people are currently on the national transplant waiting list, and many more are in need of tissue or eye transplants. Each day, patients added to the waiting list outnumber the availability of donated organs, underscoring the critical need for more registered donors.
In Michigan, more than 2,700 residents are waiting for a life-saving organ transplant, and this number reflects only a portion of the need within the state.
Registering as a Donor
You can register to become an organ, eye, and tissue donor online or through the Michigan Secretary of State. Registration adds your name to the Michigan Organ Donor Registry, a confidential database that authorizes donation at the time of your death.
Joining the registry means your decision to donate will be honored, and it is important to share your wishes with your family. One registered donor can potentially save up to eight lives through organ donation and significantly improve many more lives through tissue donation.
Impact of Donation
In Michigan, thousands of patients have benefited from organ and tissue donation over the past decade. Across the U.S., more than 9,000 Michigan residents have received life-saving organ transplants in the last 10 years.
Organ and tissue donors provide hope and healing to patients with conditions ranging from kidney failure and heart disease to injuries requiring tendon or corneal grafts.
For more information or to register as a donor, please visit Gift of Life Michigan or the Michigan Organ Donor Registry.
