Broader kidney and pancreas distribution policies now in effect.
Learn moreMore than
39,000
lifesaving organ transplants in 2020
More than
18,000
deceased and living donors in 2020
2020
Most lives ever saved by deceased organ donors.
Read news.
More than 740,000 people in the United States live with end-stage renal disease and more than 90,000 people are on the kidney transplant waitlist. Learn the facts, risks, and benefits of:
- Dialysis
- Transplant from a deceased donor
- Transplant from a living donor
- Find a living donor
- Become a living donor
Stories of Hope
Terri Lynne Willis: 29 year liver transplant survivor
Born with a rare metabolic disease, Terri was frequently in the hospital as a child. She thinks about her donor every day.
Valerie Bolt: Eleni the brave
I volunteered to be evaluated and when I learned I was eligible to donate, it was truly one of the happiest moments of my life.
Sarah Ridder: A family’s journey with IPF
Many of us did die from IPF but because of two incredibly loving families our mother was spared the loss of two more children. Without these transplants, our life expectancies were no more than three to four months.
Living donation
Living donation is when a healthy living organ donor gives an organ such as a kidney or part of an organ such as a portion of a lung, liver, pancreas, or intestine to a recipient.
Costs
Before undergoing an organ transplant, it’s important to understand the costs. You will want to work with your transplant team make sure you have an individual plan to cover transplant costs.
Caregivers
In order for patients to have successful transplant outcomes, it’s important for organ recipients or living donors to have quality care and support before and after surgery. Learn more.
Find a support group
Receive support from other organ transplant patients and families by finding a support group near you. Click here to learn more and find the right type of support group for you or your family.
In the news
César López: Don’t take anything for granted
Thank you to all the people that made me enjoy life again, especially my unknown 20-year-old donor.
Noah Thibodeau: “Live like Noah”
Because he chose to be an organ donor, he has saved the lives of four people
The Gallery at UNOS: Nov. 5 virtual opening of Looking Back
Experience Debra O’Hearn’s journey from diagnosis to survival through her lens.