INDIANAPOLIS – When it comes to giving hope to others through the gift of life, Hoosier’s generosity has never been greater. Indiana Donor Network, the state’s federally designated organ recovery organization, hit a milestone with more than 500 organs transplanted in the first half of 2021, which puts the organization on pace to break records for the third year in a row.
From Jan. 1 through June 30, 2021, Indiana Donor Network made it possible for 504 lifesaving organs to be transplanted into patients waiting for a lifesaving organ. This puts the organization on track to facilitate 16 percent more organ transplants in 2021 compared to 2020 and nearly 50 percent more transplants this year compared to 2019.
This increase is credited to the generosity of 147 Hoosier organ donors who gave the gift of life through Indiana Donor Network in the first six months of the year and puts the organization on pace to facilitate donation from 24 percent more organ donors this year compared to last year.
“We are honored to be stewards of these incredible gifts, which are saving more lives through organ donation and transplantation than ever before,” said Kellie Tremain, Indiana Donor Network president and CEO. “We also know there is more work to be done. Currently, more than 1,000 Hoosiers and over 100,000 patients nationwide are counting on us for their second chance at life.”
Indiana Donor Network attributes the record-setting pace to continued innovation across the organization. Earlier this year, the organization added a five-bed ICU and state-of-the-art diagnostic capabilities to its on-site Organ and Tissue Recovery Center, enabling Indiana Donor Network to recover organs faster than in a typical hospital environment, which means more organs are likely to be viable and more lives can be saved.
Additionally, the organization is finding new ways to improve the organ donation process. Indiana Donor Network increased the age range for patients who can potentially become organ donors and is coordinating more cases of donation after cardiac death. The organization is working more closely with hospital partners to increase donor referral rates, increase the time spent reviewing each referral, and conduct more on-site evaluations of potential organ donors than ever before – all while offering families bereavement support services tailored to meet their individual needs.
Anyone can sign up to be a donor, regardless of age or medical history, at DonateLifeIndiana.org. For more information about Indiana Donor Network, visit IndianaDonorNetwork.org.
About Indiana Donor Network
The decision to become an organ, tissue, and eye donor is a decision to give the gift of life. Indiana Donor Network serves as the vital link between donors and patients waiting for lifesaving organ transplants, healing tissue, and corneas to restore sight. We are the state’s federally designated organ recovery organization and an accredited tissue bank. Our team of nearly 250 dedicated professionals is committed to saving and healing lives through donation and transplantation, championing the cause through education and outreach, and supporting donor families in their time of need. For more information or to sign up as a donor, visit IndianaDonorNetwork.org.
