Colorado Sees Record-Breaking Percentage Of Colorado Residents On The Organ And Tissue Donor Registry In 2016

Local organ procurement organization announces increase in registered organ, eye and tissue donors, and record-breaking tissue donation year, translating to more lives saved and healed

News provided by

Donor Alliance

Feb 03, 2017, 09:00 ET

DENVER, Feb. 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Last year was another remarkable year for organ and tissue donation and transplantation in Colorado and Wyoming with 139 generous organ donors making 424 lifesaving transplants possible. Donor Alliance, the federally designated non-profit organization that facilitates organ and tissue donation in Colorado and most of Wyoming, also worked with the families of a record 1,710 tissue donors to recover lifesaving and healing tissue to provide bone and skin grafts to thousands of recipients in need.

The organization, which educates the public on organ and tissue donation and manages the state donor registries in Colorado and Wyoming, also announced that 971,982 names in Colorado and 89,111 names in Wyoming were added to the registries in 2016. The donor designation rate, or percentage of individuals joining the state donor registry, was at an all-time high this past year in Colorado with 69.32 percent of the state's licensed drivers and ID card holders on the registry and 57.64 percent in Wyoming. The two states maintained some of the highest donor designation rates in the country.

"In reflecting on 2016, we continue to be incredibly thankful for our partnerships with the hospitals and transplant centers in our service area, as well as the Division of Motor Vehicles, whose 53 driver license offices continue to offer residents the chance to save lives through organ and tissue donation to the thousands of people they serve in both Colorado and Wyoming. Most importantly, we are grateful to the many Colorado and Wyoming residents that have made the decision to register as organ, eye and tissue donors," said Sue Dunn, Donor Alliance president and CEO. "While we are encouraged by the strong donor designation rates that we have enjoyed in Colorado and Wyoming for a number of years, we are reminded that there are still more than 2,500 people in Colorado and Wyoming that continue to wait for a lifesaving transplant. As always, we will remain dedicated to our mission to save lives through organ and tissue donation, and look forward to another impactful year in 2017."

2016 was another landmark year for tissue donation and transplantation, including bone, skin, heart valve and joint donations. Topping 2015's record year of 1,674, Donor Alliance worked with the families of 1,710 generous tissue donors in 2016 and recovered enough tissue to heal or save the lives of tens of thousands in need. As medical technology advances and eligibility criteria expand it has become possible to utilize more types of tissue, which has allowed more people to give the gift of life through tissue donation. Additionally, Colorado and Wyoming's increasing number of registered donors has translated into more tissue available for transplant.

In addition to the increase in tissue donors, Donor Alliance, which educates about organ and tissue donation and manages the recovery of tissue and organs, facilitated organ recoveries from 139 donors in 2016, helping make 424 lifesaving transplants possible.

Despite the generosity of donor family members and the efforts of Donor Alliance staff and partner organizations, just over 2,500 people in the area continue to wait for a lifesaving transplant. For more information about donation, or to register as an organ, eye and tissue donor, please visit DonateLifeColorado.org or DonateLifeWyoming.org.

ORGAN Donation	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
Local Organ Donors	126	148	109	134	139
Kidney Transplants	203	241	176	226	233
Liver Transplants	84	109	72	79	84
Heart Transplants	47	43	37	54	54
Lung Transplants	34	45	42	59	44
Pancreas Transplants	21	24	9	10	8
Small Intestine Transplant	1	1	1	0	1
Total Local Organs Transplanted	390	463	337	428	424

TISSUE Donation	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
Local Tissue Donors	1017	1,177	1,590	1,674	1710
Bone Donors	555	660	830	911	822
Skin Donors	934	1076	1,386	1401	1320
Heart Valve Donors	105	111	114	117	168
Joint Restoration Donors	83	106	112	119	89

About Donor Alliance
Donor Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving lives through organ and tissue donation and transplantation. As the organ and tissue procurement agency for Colorado and most of Wyoming, Donor Alliance serves more than 5.8 million residents and more than 100 hospitals.

Donor Alliance adheres to the highest medical, regulatory and ethical standards, and meets every performance standard. By respectfully working with the families of organ and tissue donors, maintaining partnerships with hospitals, educating residents on the life-saving benefits of donation and inspiring them to sign up on the state's donor registry, Donor Alliance is able to save lives through organ and tissue donation and transplantation. Colorado and Wyoming boast some of the highest rates of donor registration in the country, which directly translates to more lives saved and healed through organ and tissue transplantation. Donor Alliance is one of 58 federally designated organizations of its kind in the United States. For more information visit DonorAlliance.org or the Donate Life Colorado or Donate Life Wyoming Facebook pages.