ALTOONA – More than 117,000 people across the country are awaiting an organ transplant, and at least 18 will die without receiving one. The Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE) and Altoona Regional Health System are joining the organ donation community once again in April by commemorating National Donate Life Month.
Throughout the month, CORE and Altoona Regional are encouraging people to register to become organ, tissue and cornea donors. Each person who signs up can help up to 50 people through organ, tissue and cornea donation.
Some important additional facts about organ, tissue and cornea donation:
- More than 8,000 patients are awaiting lifesaving organ transplants in Pennsylvania. Thousands of others could benefit from life-enhancing tissue transplants.
- There are at least 90,000 people in the United States awaiting a kidney. Kidneys are the organ in greatest demand, followed by liver, heart and lungs.
- Because conditions such as diabetes and hypertension are often more prevalent in the minority community, minorities make up more than 50 percent of the people on the national organ transplant list.
For more information about organ, tissue and cornea donation, visit CORE’s Web site at http://www.core.org/.