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Donation and Transplantation

Photo of Bryan, donor
Bryan
01/28/1981 - 05/18/2004

Bryan, we miss the challenging game of Scrabble with you. The children miss you being their "jungle gym" to test your strength. Your left-handed Dad needed his left-handed son to give him a hand. You were a creative builder and very good in the kitchen. People were more important to you than any material things in this world. We want to learn from your example of seeking truth that your life and message taught us. In life we loved you dearly and in death we love you still.

— Your family

One Plus One Equals … Life

Transplantation and donation are inseparable: organs and tissues are donated because patients need transplants, and if transplantation didn’t exist, there would be no need for donors. It's an equation that remains far from balanced, however, as the list of persons waiting for transplants grows faster than the number of donated organs.

Who are the people involved? They're ordinary people whose paths intersect at one extraordinary point in time.

The U.S. System

Organ recovery and transplantation in the United States are administered through the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). The OPTN, created by Congress as part of the National Organ Transplant Act (NOTA) of 1984, is a private, noprofit unified transplant network that operates under federal contract.

The Numbers

Oregon and the Northwest

Right arrow Donors in PNTB's service area, by hospital

2010 Oregon Total NW
People waiting (03/26/10) 640 2,315
2009 Oregon Total NW
Number of (deceased) donors 93 212
Number of deceased donor transplants 218 622
2008 Oregon Total NW
Number of (deceased) donors 69 210
Number of deceased donor transplants 182 601

The United States

  2009 2008
Number of (deceased) donors 8,021 7,990
Number of deceased donor transplants 21,854 21,747

Eye and Tissue Donation

Organ and tissue recovery staff work closely together, whether they be within a single organization or separate agencies. The goal is the same: to maximize organs and tissues available for transplantation.

Serving the PNTB Area

Tissue

Eye

Learn More About Donation and Transplantation

The stories and numbers above show clearly that

We encourage you to learn more about this often poorly understood area of medicine. Read about the process, explore attitudes and beliefs — and debunk the myths.