How serious is the organ shortage?
According to UNOS, the United Network for Organ Sharing, there are over 96,000 people on the current waiting list for organ transplants. 17 people die every day while waiting for an organ transplant. Thousands more are waiting for the gift of sight, or the precious bone and other tissues that will save or improve their lives.
The need for organs continues to grow at an alarming rate and is truly a public health crisis. There are currently more than 94,000 men, women, and children in the United States waiting for a life-saving transplant. More than 2,500 of these individuals live in the Upper Midwest. Every 13 minutes another name is added to the national waiting list, and each day 17 people die while they wait for their transplant.
