PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Gift of Life Donor Program is the leading organ procurement organization (OPO) in the United States for the 10th consecutive year, with the successful coordination of life-saving organs from 565 organ donors in 2017. These selfless gifts resulted in 1,546 organs transplanted – the most organ donors and transplants of any OPO in the nation in one year. It represents an ongoing legacy of new beginnings from grieving families to those awaiting the “gift of life.”
Gift of Life leads U.S. in organ donors for 10th year. Leads nation in organ transplants in 2017.
As a non-profit, federally-designated OPO, Gift of Life serves 11.2 million people across the eastern half of Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware. Its annual donation rate continues to rank among the highest in the world, equating to 50 organ donors-per-million-population.
In 2017, Gift of Life also recovered tissue from 2,468 donors including 1,281 musculoskeletal donors and 2,112 cornea donors. These life-enhancing donations can benefit as many as 88,000 people, with bone donations to improve mobility, heart valve donations to repair life-threatening defects, skin donations for reconstructive surgery and to heal burn patients, and approximately 2,575 individual corneas to provide the gift of sight.
“Our growth is possible only because of the selflessness of the donors and donor families who consistently make this the most generous region in the country. This year, they saved and improved the lives of nearly 90,000 people,” says Gift of Life President and CEO Howard M. Nathan. “We are so grateful to them for providing their precious gifts, often in the face of overwhelming loss.” This profile tells one family’s story of grief, life-saving generosity and ongoing advocacy.