For the second year in a row, LifeShare Transplant Donor Services of Oklahoma, has a record breaking year! LifeShare reached new all-time high records for the number of organ donors recovered, the number of organs transplanted, and the number of tissue donors recovered in a one year period.
LifeShare is the federally designated organ procurement organization in the state of Oklahoma and is responsible for organ and tissue donation statewide.
In 2015, LifeShare recovered 174 organ donors for the year passing the organization’s all-time high record of 141 donors set in 2014. Prior to 2014, the record was from 2007 with 109 donors. These donations resulted in 479 organs recovered and transplanted for 2015, a total which also passes last year’s organizational record of 445 organs. Prior to 2014, the high record for organs recovered in a one year period was 323 organs in 2012.
LifeShare also achieved new records in the area of tissue procurement. Last year, the organization recovered 643 tissue donors surpassing the 2014 record of 498 tissue donors. More specifically in the area of tissue recovery, LifeShare completed 109 eye donor recoveries for the year, which is new territory for the organization.
“I am incredibly proud of the work LifeShare has done this year to help save lives,” explained Jeffrey Orlowski, President and Chief Executive Officer of LifeShare. “We have once again set organizational records across the board, which is a result of the focus and commitment from the entire LifeShare team including staff, leadership and volunteers and the efforts of the Oklahoma medical community.”
“Most importantly, we have also had incredible support and generosity from the citizens of Oklahoma, without which our lifesaving work would not be possible,” explains Orlowski. “We encourage Oklahomans to continue registering to be organ, eye and tissue donors so more lives can be saved.”
This record breaking year 438 lives were saved through organ and tissue donation. There are still approximately 800 Oklahomans on the waiting list for a lifesaving transplant.
LifeShare is a nonprofit, federally designated organ procurement organization (OPO) dedicated to the recovery of organs and tissue for transplant purposes. We work closely with five transplant centers and 145 healthcare organizations in the state of Oklahoma to facilitate donation. Additionally, we strive to raise awareness for organ, eye and tissue donation and transplantation through public education.
