Jennifer Moe
Director of Communications/PR
Donor Alliance
303-329-4747

DONOR ALLIANCE SEES 22 PERCENT INCREASE IN ORGAN DONORS IN 2008 AND 14 PERCENT INCREASE IN ORGANS TRANSPLANTED OVER LAST YEAR

115 organ donors provide 356 transplants and thousands healed by generosity of 939 tissue donors

Denver—January 30, 2009—At the close of 2008, Donor Alliance, the federally-designated, non-profit organ procurement organization and the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB) accredited tissue bank serving Colorado and Wyoming, helped save 356 lives and heal thousands more. Additionally, Donor Alliance achieved an organ donation consent rate of 87 percent in 2008.

Working collaboratively with more than 100 hospitals in Donor Alliance’s service area, the organization helped facilitate the donation and recovery of 356 organ transplants from 115 donors in 2008. The organization reported 939 total tissue donors and saw an increase in the number of joint restoration recoveries, specialized tissue grafts that are utilized to repair damaged and diseased bone, cartilage and tendons.

“It is encouraging to end 2008 with 44 more people coming off the waiting list because they received a transplant, than in 2007,” said Sue Dunn, president and CEO of Donor Alliance. “With more than 1,800 people on the waiting list in Colorado and more than 100,000 in the U.S., each transplant is a powerful resolution for that person and their family.”

Donor Alliance attributes its increase in organ donation and high consent rate to the generous nature of the community and committed professionals in its service area.“This speaks to the selflessness of each donor and their family, hospital champions throughout our region and our mission driven staff, who are dedicated to making donation happen on a daily basis,” said Dunn.

Fifty percent of the 115 organ donors and 57 percent of the 939 tissue donors in 2008 were listed on either the Colorado or Wyoming State Donor Registry.

“Colorado’s donor designation rate has increased three percentage points this year from 60 to 63 percent, one of the top rates in the nation” said Dunn. “That means that 63 percent of all licensed drivers in our state have made the decision to be organ and tissue donors, joining the Colorado Donor Registry and we remain committed to increasing that number in 2009.”

Join the 63 percent of Coloradoans who have registered to be organ and tissue donors, by visiting ColoradoDonorRegistry.org. For Wyoming residents, visit WyomingDonorRegistry.org.

Source: Donor Alliance data.

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