In 2022, more than 42,800 organ transplants were performed.
Total kidney transplants exceeded 25,000 for the first year ever.
Annual records also were set for liver, heart and lung transplants and deceased donation continues a 12-year record trend.
Taylor County behavioral health therapist, Cindie Harper, with Preston Taylor Community Health Center, received a Proclamation from Gov. Jim Justice proclaiming April 2023 as Donate Life Month in West Virginia.
Harper encourages residents to consider registering as organ donors.
There are more than 150,000 people in the U.S. awaiting a life-saving organ transplant. More than 500 are from West Virginia.
National Donate Life Month, held each April, is dedicated to encouraging individuals to register as organ, eye and tissue donors and to celebrate those who saved lives through the gift of donation.
“It is important to my family because one of my very close family members received a kidney from a living donor and a pancreas from a registered organ donor. Because of organ donors, he is alive and well,” said Harper.
Approximately every 10 minutes, someone finds out they need a life-saving organ transplant, and there are more than 150,000 people in the U.S. waiting for one. Nearly 20 people die each day waiting, according to the Center for Organ Recovery and Education or CORE.
Currently only 30% of West Virginians are registered organ donors. To educate West Virginians about this critical need in their own backyard and rally them around a solution, the Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE), Donate Life West Virginia, W.Va. encourages individuals to learn more about donating.
Contrary to popular misconceptions, anyone can register as an organ donor regardless of age or medical history. The decision to register not only holds the power to save eight lives, but also to heal the lives of 75 throughtissue donation.
West Virginians can register as an organ donor by visiting: https://registerme.org/core or at their local DMV, or when purchasing a hunting and fishing license.
To learn more about how to get involved with West Virginia April Donate Life month, visit the Donate Life West Virginia website or follow @COREDonateLife and @DonateLifeWV on Facebook and Instagram. For more information about CORE and its life-saving mission, visit www.core.org.
