A Quick Look...

As of October 2006 - 71,998 waiting for a kidney 17,576 waiting for a liver 2,870 waiting for a heart 2,938 waiting for a lung 2,484 waiting for a kidney/pancreas 1,760 waiting for a pancreas 147 waiting for heart/lung 242 waiting for intestine 2,651 people waiting in Alabama as of October 2006. 2,382 of these people are awaiting a kidney transplant.. UAB performs over 330 kidney transplants annually, including living donors, making it one of the top transplant centers in the nation.

Register to Become an Organ Donor
By Ann Rayburn
Professional Educator, Alabama Organ Center and Foundation Board Member

The need for donated organs and tissues is frequently addressed in the news and other media outlets. Many of you who are reading this newsletter are acutely aware of the need for donated organs. Currently, there are more than 80,000 men, women and children waiting for organ transplants in the United States. Nearly, 53,000 of those waiting are in need of a kidney transplant. In Alabama, we have approximately, 1,800 waiting for a kidney transplant. In 2001 we achieved some interesting national milestones. For the first time ever the national kidney transplant waiting list topped 50,000 people and more people donated an organ while living than those people who donated after death. What does this mean? We have a critical need for organs in this country and there are thousands of people willing to help, but it is still not enough.

In an effort to help meet this need, the Alabama Organ Center has launched the Legacy Organ and Tissue Donor Registry, a database designed to document the wishes of people like you who want to donate their organs and tissues after death. Other states have implemented registries that have resulted in significant increases in donation. For example, after Louisiana started a donor registry, donation increased by 60% after two short years.

Our work is just beginning in Alabama, and you can make a difference by expressing your desire to become a donor as a member of the Legacy Organ and Tissue Donor Registry. It is important to remember that indicating your wishes on your driver’s license is not enough. Please add your name to the registry and discuss your decision with your family. Joining is simple; it only takes two minutes to register on the Internet at www.legacyalabama.org. You may also call 1-866-SHARELIFE (866-742-7354) for registry forms.

The Alabama Kidney Foundation recommends you visit the following sites for additional information on organ donation.

Alabama Organ Center: http://www.alabamaorgancenter.org

United Network of Organ Sharing: http://www.unos.org

Also visit the Transplant Games Web Site: http://www.TeamAlabama.org.