LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Today is not just Valentine’s Day. It’s also National Organ Donor Day. There are many people hoping to get an important gift soon – the gift of life.

In Michigan, there are 2,517 patients waiting for an organ transplant in the state and more than 100,000 are waiting nationwide. That information comes from Gift of Life Michigan, the state’s federally designated organ and tissue recovery program, providing all services necessary for organ donation to occur in Michigan. According to the organization, seventeen people die every day waiting for a life-saving transplant in the United States and someone is added to the national list, on average, every nine minutes.

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In 2022, Michigan had a record year of 463 organ donations and 1,821 tissue donors. That was a 14% increase in tissue donors over the previous record in 2019 and an 8% increase in organ donors over 2021.

Dorrie Dils, President and CEO of Gift of Life Michigan said about the 2022 numbers, “This is a testament to the dedication of our hard-working staff, our hospital partners and, of course, our selfless donors and their families – they are the true heroes. It’s inspiring to see so many people choose this final act to save and help heal the lives of people they never met.”

Thanks to organizations like Gift of Life Michigan, miracles happen every day.

One of those miracles on August 23, 2018 was Jim E. Wellman. Wellman has fibrosis of the lungs and at the time of his transplant, the transplant team didn’t know how he was still alive with lungs that looked like a cobblestone walkway. It was truly a miracle that he was still alive and that he qualified for the transplant. He was seconds away from failing his test, having been given a time limit to walk a certain distance to prove his health. He was also very skinny and had almost aged out of the program, being 65-years-old at the time. In addition to that, one of the lungs he was given was deflated and the transplant team was unsure it would be viable.

Wellman was told that his life expectancy after the transplant would be about five years. That’s where he is now. He’s had complications along the way and is dealing with health issues currently but is cherishing the extra time that he’s had with his family. He said, “Being a donor has to be a difficult decision. People need to take good care of the donation. I am very grateful for the second chance, to have seen my grandkids grow up and for them to be old enough that they will remember me.”

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Betsy Miner-Swartz, Senior Advisor at Gift of Life Michigan, says that the most needed organs in Michigan (and nationally) are kidneys. Of all the patients waiting for an organ transplant in Michigan, about 2,000 of them need a kidney transplant. Wait times vary depending upon how sick the patient is, how many organs are available and many other factors.

Deceased donors can give eight organs: heart, liver, lungs (2), kidneys (2), pancreas and intestines. In addition to that, corneas, tissue, hands and other donations can be given. Living donors also play an important role in helping people lead a healthier life and also saving their lives. Living donors can give kidneys and part of their livers.

These transplants take place at one of eight transplant centers in the state with the help of hospitals and the Gift of Life’s teams which help patients and families give their final gifts.

National Organ Donor Day is a special day that’s celebrated annually all over the country. Miner-Swartz says, “This is the day that organ and tissue transplant recipients thank their donors for saving or transforming their lives. It’s also an opportunity for talk about the Michigan Organ Donor Registry and why it’s important to sign up with Michigan Secretary of State. About 56% of adults in Michigan are registered. In some states, the percentage is as high as 70%. Michigan can do better.”

If you’d like to become an organ donor, check for the “heart” symbol in the bottom corner of your license or state ID. If you don’t have one, you can complete the form online here and you’ll receive a link to request the “heart” donor symbol from the Secretary of State for your state ID.

Even if you don’t have a Michigan driver’s license or ID, you can still fill out the form and join the Michigan Organ Donor Registry.

Have a heart. Remember, it’s Valentine’s Day!