Right now, nearly 1,300 people in Colorado and Wyoming are waiting for the call that could save their life, but not enough donors are registered to meet the need. It’s a question many people ask: “Why should I register as an organ donor?” The answer is simple. You can save and heal lives. Just one donor can save up to eight lives through organ donation and improve the lives of 75 more through eye and tissue donation. By saying “yes” to donation, you become a hero to those who are desperately hoping for a second chance at life: mothers, fathers, children, neighbors, and friends. 
If you’re hesitating, consider these five important reasons to become an organ, eye, and tissue donor.
5 Reasons YOU Should Become an Organ and Tissue Donor:
- Organ and tissue donation is a powerful, life-changing gift. Organ transplant can significantly improve quality of life, or act as a life-saving intervention for those on the waitlist. Also, it can help families work through the grieving process. Knowing their loved one helped save and heal the lives of others supports many in dealing with their loss.
- One donor can save and heal over 75 lives. The altruistic behavior a registered donor provides when reflected on the lives of others is immeasurable. The impact goes far beyond saving lives. The generosity of a donor also impacts families and communities. One measurable aspect we do know is that one donor can save up to 8 lives through organ donation and save and heal over 75 lives through tissue donation.
- Organ and tissue donation has minimal age, medical, or religious restrictions. Many people think that they will be too old or sick to be a donor when they pass, but that is just not true. There have been tissue donors in our community up to 105 years old. Transplant surgeons evaluate each potential donor, so don’t rule yourself out. Additionally, from nearly all religious and spiritual perspectives, organ, eye and tissue donation is considered an act of charity towards those in need.
- People can die waiting for an organ. There are over 100,000 people on the waitlist for a lifesaving organ transplant in the United States currently. Every day, 13 people on the waitlist will pass away. You have the potential to change others’ lives, solely by taking a few seconds to check ‘Yes’ at the DMV or registering online.
- Our community needs more individuals to register. Colorado and Wyoming lead in donor registrations, but many still need to sign up. By registering, you can save lives in our community.
Every donation has a powerful story behind it. Take Lella from Delta, Colorado, for example. At just two months old, she was added to the transplant waitlist due to a rare liver condition. Five months later, a family’s selfless decision gave her a second chance at life: a new liver. Now a teenager, Lella is passionate about dance, competes in state swimming championships, and cherishes time with friends and family. Her journey inspires many in our community to say “yes” and register as donors. In 2024, Lella came full circle when she got her driver’s license and, for the first time, checked the box to become an organ donor herself. She continues the legacy of hope her donor family gave her.
“We are so thankful for our donor family’s gift,” said Lella’s mother. “Seeing Lella choose to register as a donor fills us with pride and hope to help others.”
Stories like Lella’s remind us that every registration can save and heal lives. You can find her full story here.
Lella, Liver Recipient
Ultimately, registering as an organ, eye and tissue donation allows individuals to have an infinite impact on others. Becoming a registered donor means your legacy will live on forever and will give hope to those who are waiting for a life-saving and healing transplant.
Allocation Process | How Transplants Are Matched Fairly
What Is the Organ Allocation Process?
Think about the incredible kindness when someone says “yes” to organ donation. It’s a decision that offers a lifeline to someone else. But with so many people desperately needing a transplant, how does that amazing gift get to the person who needs it most? This is where the organ allocation process comes in.
It’s a pretty amazing system. At its core, it’s about making sure donated organs are matched fairly and quickly with the people who are the best fit and have the most urgent need. It’s designed to be impartial – meaning things like how famous someone is, how much money they have, or where they come from simply don’t factor in. What truly guides the decision is medical urgency, how well the organ matches the patient, and how close they are geographically (because organs can’t wait forever!).
To give everyone waiting for a transplant a real, fair shot at getting the organ that could save or dramatically improve their life. It’s all about making the biggest possible difference with each precious donation.
Who Oversees the Organ Matching Process?
Managing organ transplants across the entire country is a massive undertaking! Behind the scenes, a national organization called UNOS (the United Network for Organ Sharing) operates the system that determines how organs are matched and distributed nationwide. Think of them as the air traffic control for organ donation in the U.S. UNOS works under a federal contract as the administrator of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN).
UNOS and the OPTN are the backbone of this life-saving effort. Here’s some of what they do:
- They keep the National Transplant Waiting List: Imagine a single, constantly updated list with information about every patient in the U.S. waiting for an organ. That’s what UNOS manages. It’s called the organ transplant list.
- They run the special matching computer system: They have a computer system (it’s actually called UNet) that uses complex algorithms. Basically, this system takes all the info about the donated organ and the patients on the waiting list and figures out the best potential matches based on the rules. This is the heart of the UNOS organ transplant matching process.
- They set the rules: The policies for how organs are matched and shared are developed by expert committees. And guess who is on these committees? Not just doctors and scientists, but also patient advocates, donor families, and people with ethical and public health expertise. This mix of experience helps make sure the rules are medically sound, fair, and consider the real-life impact.
These policies aren’t set in stone—they get reviewed and updated regularly as medicine gets better and we learn more. It’s a system that keeps improving, always aiming to be as fair and effective as possible. This level of expertise and careful oversight is a big part of why the system is so trusted.
How Do They Actually Match Organs?
Every organ donation is a time-sensitive opportunity, and getting the match right is critical. The process considers several key criteria:
- How Sick Is the Patient? (Medical Urgency): This is often the top priority. Patients who are the most critically ill and won’t survive much longer without a transplant are usually considered first. For livers, there’s a special score called the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score (or PELD for kids under 12). It uses lab results to figure out how sick someone is, and a higher score means a higher priority.
- Blood Type and Size Match: Just like needing the right blood type for a transfusion, the donor and recipient need compatible blood types. And the organ needs to fit! A donated lung or heart has to be the right size for the patient’s body to work properly. They look at donor height and weight to help figure this out.
- Geographic Location: Organs can only last for a short time outside the body – we’re talking hours, not days. Hearts and lungs are especially sensitive to time. Because of this, patients at transplant hospitals closer to where the donation happened are usually considered before those farther away. It’s a race against the clock to get the organ where it needs to be safely and quickly.
- Time on the Waitlist: If everything else is pretty equal (medical urgency, match, location), then the amount of time someone has been on the organ transplant list becomes a factor. This is a bigger deal for kidney transplants than for some other organs.
- Tissue Type (HLA Matching): For some organs, especially kidneys and pancreases, matching certain tiny markers on cells called HLAs is really important. The better the HLA match between the donor and recipient, the less likely the recipient’s body is to reject the new organ.
Your personal stuff – like your race, how much money you make, if you’re famous, your religion, or where you were born – never comes into play when they’re matching organs. The system uses only those medical and logistical factors to keep things fair for everyone.
What Role Does Donor Alliance Play?
While UNOS runs the national matching system, there are local teams across the country that do the crucial work on the ground. These are called Organ Procurement Organizations, or OPOs. Donor Alliance is the OPO that serves our communities right here in Colorado and most of Wyoming.
Donor Alliance doesn’t manage the national waiting list or run the matching system – that’s UNOS’s job. Donor Alliance is the bridge between the incredible gift of donation and the patient waiting for a second chance.
Here’s how Donor Alliance fits into the picture:
Coordinating the Donation Process
When a potential donor is identified in a hospital, the compassionate team at Donor Alliance is there. This includes working closely with hospital staff, guiding families through the decision-making process with compassion, and ensuring all necessary medical information is gathered to determine donation eligibility.
Entering Donor Information into the UNOS System
Once the donation is authorized, Donor Alliance collects detailed medical and clinical data from the donor. This information is then securely entered into the UNOS organ matching system, which uses it to find the most suitable recipients based on urgency, compatibility, and location.
Facilitating Matches and Transport
When UNOS finds potential matches, Donor Alliance coordinates everything needed for the organ recovery surgery and then arranges for the organ to get transported safely and quickly to the transplant hospital where the recipient is waiting.
Ensuring Ethical and Regulatory Compliance
Donor Alliance operates under strict federal rules and ethical guidelines. They are overseen by national health organizations to make sure everything is done correctly, respectfully, and transparently. This commitment to high standards is a big part of their expertise and the trust placed in them.
Supporting Donor Families
Beyond the medical side, Donor Alliance offers really important support to the families who have said yes to donation. They provide grief resources and ways to honor the donor’s memory, sometimes even helping families connect with recipients if everyone involved wants to.
Why Does All This Matter? Because It’s About People!
It’s easy to talk about systems and criteria, but let’s not forget what this is really all about: people. Right now, over 100,000 people in the U.S. are waiting for a transplant. That’s a huge number of individuals, each with a life, a family, and a future they are hoping to see. And sadly, because the need is so great, we lose about 13 people every day who were waiting.
When an organ is matched and transplanted successfully, it’s a moment of pure impact. It means:
- A second chance at life for someone with end-stage organ failure
- A child going home from the hospital
- A parent living long enough to see their child graduate
And it doesn’t stop at just one life. A single organ donor can save up to eight lives. When matched carefully and fairly, every transplant becomes a ripple of healing that touches families and communities.
Myth vs. Fact: Understanding the Truth About Allocation
There are some common misunderstandings out there about organ donation and how organs are allocated. Knowing the truth helps build confidence in the system:
- Myth: If I’m a registered donor, doctors won’t try as hard to save my life.
Fact: Totally false. The medical team working to save you in the hospital is completely separate from the transplant team. Their only focus is saving your life. Donation is only considered after every effort to save you has been unsuccessful and death has been determined. - Myth: I’m too old or not healthy enough to be a donor.
Fact: Not true! There’s no age cutoff for donation, and even people with health conditions can often donate. Medical experts evaluate every potential donor at the time of death to see what organs and tissues are healthy enough to be transplanted - Myth: Rich or famous people get organs faster.
Fact: Absolutely not. The system for matching organs is strictly based on medical need, how good the match is, how urgent the patient’s condition is, and geography. A person’s money, status, or who they are doesn’t play any role in the matching process. It’s fair for everyone on the list. - Myth: My family gets to pick who receives my organs.
Fact: To keep things fair and protect everyone’s privacy, the national computer system makes the match based on the medical criteria. Donor families provide authorization for donation, but they are not involved in choosing the recipients.
Understanding these facts helps build trust in a system that is carefully designed to be equitable and transparent.
Why Having Diverse Donors Really Matters
Our bodies are amazing, but they’re also really different. Besides blood type, there are other things, like tissue markers (called HLAs), that play a big role in how well a transplanted organ will be accepted by the recipient’s body. These markers are often similar among people from the same ethnic or racial background.
So, having a diverse group of registered organ donors is super important! It increases the chances that someone needing a transplant will find a compatible match, especially if they come from a background where certain tissue types are more common.
Here’s the challenge: Right now, people from diverse communities, particularly communities of color, make up a larger percentage of the waiting list than they do of registered donors.
Here’s Why That Matters:
- Better Matches Mean Better Results:
Especially for kidneys, a good HLA match can make a huge difference in how long the transplanted organ lasts and how healthy the recipient is. Since HLA types are inherited, finding a good match is often easier within your own ethnic group. - Helping Reduce Waiting Times:
Because there are fewer registered donors from some minority groups, patients from these communities unfortunately often have to wait longer to find a compatible organ. This isn’t fair, and it can seriously impact their health while they wait. For example, as of early 2025, Black/African Americans are a much larger percentage of the waiting list (27.8%) than they are of deceased donors (12.6% in 2024). This leads to longer waits for many. - Increasing Donor Diversity Saves Lives:
When more people from all communities, especially those currently underrepresented, register as donors, it helps balance the scales. A more diverse donor pool means a better chance of finding a match for everyone, which directly addresses health disparities in transplantation.
How You Can Help:
Your decision to register as an organ, eye, and tissue donor is incredibly powerful, no matter your background. And if you are part of a community that has faced these disparities, your decision is especially meaningful. You have the potential to be the perfect, life-saving match for someone who shares your heritage and is still hoping for their chance.
Ethics and Oversight: Built on Trust
Given that the organ allocation process involves such critical decisions, it’s absolutely built on a foundation of strong ethics and careful oversight. You need to be able to trust that the system is fair and operates with integrity.
Here’s what makes the system trustworthy:
- Rules Made by Many Experts: The policies aren’t decided by just a few people. They’re developed and reviewed by those expert committees we talked about, including doctors, scientists, ethicists, and people who have actually been through the donation or transplant process. This wide range of experience and knowledge helps ensure the rules are fair, ethical, and truly work for people.
- Respecting Your Choice: The system honors the decision of individuals who registered to be donors. If someone didn’t register, the family’s informed consent is required. Your personal wishes are respected.
- Keeping Things Transparent and Accountable: The entire process is documented and watched over by federal health agencies. This means there are checks and balances to ensure policies are followed and everything is done correctly and ethically.
This strong framework, with its focus on ethical principles, expert input, and clear oversight, is why you can have confidence that the system honors the gift of donation and makes transplant decisions fairly.
Addressing Concerns and Building Confidence
It’s totally okay to have questions or feel a bit uncertain about organ donation and allocation. It’s a really personal topic. Donor families want to know their loved one’s generous gift is used wisely and with respect. Patients waiting need to trust that the system is honest and caring.
Here’s what you can be sure of:
- Your background, your income, or whether you’re well-known will never affect your position on the waiting list or whether you get an organ offer.
- Every single donated organ is matched using a national system designed to save as many lives as possible, based purely on medical need and compatibility.
- The entire process is handled with the utmost care, dignity, and strict adherence to ethical standards.
If you or someone you care about is thinking about registering as a donor or is currently waiting for a transplant, please feel confident that the system is working hard to give everyone the very best possible chance.
The Takeaway: Hope, Healing, and Your Decision
The organ allocation process is more than just a medical or logistical puzzle. It’s a daily connection of incredible generosity and urgent need. It’s the system that makes possible the miracle of transplantation. And it works because it’s built on fairness, transparency, the expertise of so many dedicated people, and fundamental trust.
If you’ve already registered as an organ, eye, and tissue donor, honestly, thank you so much. It’s an amazing gift of hope. Please make sure to share your decision with your loved ones. If you’re still thinking about it, that’s okay! Learn more, ask questions, and talk it over with your family. Your decision has the power to save and heal lives in incredible ways, and this careful system makes sure that generous gift goes exactly where it’s needed most.
Want to Learn More or Register?
Ready to dive deeper into how this works, or ready to make your decision to be a donor? Check out these reliable places for information:
Ready to dive deeper into how this works, or ready to make your decision to be a donor? Check out these reliable places for information:
- Donate Life Colorado: [ https://www.donatelifecolorado.org/ ] —Easy way to officially register your donation decision if you live in Colorado.
- Donate Life Wyoming: [ https://www.donatelifewyoming.org/ ] —Register your decision to be a donor if you’re in Wyoming.
- United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS): [ https://unos.org/ ] —The nitty-gritty details on national policies and data.
- Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN): [ https://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/ ] —More official info on U.S. transplant policies and the ethical guidelines.
To all the donors and their families, and everyone working tirelessly in this field – thank you. Your impact is truly life-changing.
You may have come across the term ‘presumed consent’ or ‘opt out’ in conversations about organ and tissue donation policies around the world. Countries like the United Kingdom have adopted this approach, where individuals are considered potential donors unless they explicitly opt out. In contrast, the United States follows an opt-in, first-person authorization system. This means individuals must actively register their decision to become organ, eye, and tissue donors. Once the decision is legally documented, typically through a state registry or driver’s license, no further approval is needed at the time of death.
The Opt-in System is Preferred and Works for Americans
A presumed consent system may seem like a logical way to address the organ shortage, but before supporting it, consider these key facts about how it works and why it may not be the best fit for the United States.
No Systems Operate as True Presumed Consent Models
While presumed consent has been enacted in several Western European countries, in practice, most of these systems are implemented as family authorization, with families effectively able to override the presumption of consent.
Presumed Consent Removes the Opportunity for Discussion with the Family
With the current opt-in system, organ procurement organizations can talk directly with the families of potential donors. This gives families a chance to ask questions and make informed decisions. Switching to an opt-out system would take away that important opportunity for family conversations about donation.
Understanding Public Attitudes Toward Presumed Consent
The most recent national study on presumed consent was commissioned by the Department of Health and Human Services in 2019. It found that 34% of people would choose to opt out if the U.S. adopted a presumed consent system. This data offers important insight into how many Americans feel about organ donation policies.
Many people view presumed consent as a decision imposed by the government rather than a personal choice. This perception could lead some to opt out, not because they oppose organ donation, but because they do not want to be automatically enrolled.
The latest global research from the Max Planck Institute in 2024 also found that switching to an opt-out system does not increase organ donation rates. Their study of five countries showed no significant rise in donations after adopting presumed consent policies.
Presumed Consent is Not in Alignment with American Legal Principles
Laws in the U.S. focus strongly on individual rights and freedoms. Presumed consent may conflict with these principles. While it might seem promising, such a big change could impact public trust in organ donation. Still, ongoing conversations about it are important.
Opt-out or Presumed Consent Would Not Make More Organs Available for Transplant
Finally, data suggests moving to an opt-out system would not make more organs available for transplant in the U.S. Under our current opt-in system, 48,149 organ transplants were performed in 2024, according to data from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). That was made possible by the generous contributions of 16,988 deceased donors and 7,030 living donors in the United States. These numbers show the U.S. opt-in system works well. People have to voluntarily decide to register, but many do, which leads to relatively high donation rates.
Join the 5th annual Concert for Hope presented by the Orr’s Hope Foundation
Come at 5 for local vendor fair including education and games from Donate Life Wyoming. Stay for performances by Rising Star Tumbling and Dance, line dance lessons by Country Kickup, and end the night with a performance by the one and only Chancey Williams with opening guest Jarrod Morris.
For Aris, a longtime DMV employee, asking people if they want to register as donors is part of his everyday work. But one day, a man walked up to him with a red rose and changed everything. The man told Aris that years ago, he was on a transplant waitlist and that because Aris asked someone to check the box, he got the kidney he needed to survive. That gift meant he’d be spending Christmas with his granddaughter.
That moment stuck with Aris. It reminded him that what might feel like a small interaction could actually mean the world to someone else.
“Not just because of the job I do, but as a human, that moment motivated me to be better, to be kinder, and to think about others,” said Aris. ” I can have the greatest gift, even though I don’t have all the riches I want, but I have time with my son and things I love within my reach.”
Aris and his son Dominic are both registered donors. They’ve talked about what it means to give someone more time with family, time to heal, time to live.
“When my son got his permit, beforehand we talked about it and I explained to him how important it is to be an organ donor,” said Aris.
That conversation left an impact, and Dominic took it to heart.
“To a person that might need a transplant, it’s everything, it’s whether you get to continue living and having experiences, to have time with loved ones and that’s really powerful,” said Dominic.
Stories like Aris’s are a reminder that donation is about more than checking a box, it’s about creating memories with loved ones that last a lifetime.
It’s National Nurses Week!
National Nurses Week, observed each year from May 6 to May 12, honors the vital contributions nurses make to the health and well-being of our communities. In time of uncertainty, nurses have shown to be unwavering beacons of compassion. They’re often the solitary faces of comfort in hospitals when we need it most. Their dedication knows no bounds, working 12-hour shifts and shouldering tasks that may seem insurmountable to many. From the frontlines of patient care in hospitals to the vital role they play in preventive healthcare within doctors’ offices, nurses epitomize the essence of selflessness and care.
Showing Support for Transplant Nurses & Donor Caregivers
Nurses play a big role in the organ and tissue donation process. From providing support to helping families navigate the complexities of organ and tissue donation, their expertise helps Donor Alliance honor a person’s decision to give the gift of life.
Nurses’ tireless efforts also help Donor Alliance ensure a person’s lifesaving and healing gifts are received by transplant centers and tissue processors in a safe and timely manner.
Donor Alliance thanks all nurses for honoring the gift of life each day. Their partnership makes organ and tissue donation possible across Colorado and most of Wyoming.
There are also other unsung heroes: the caregivers. They provide steadfast support to transplant recipients and living donors. They offer solace, advocacy, and love throughout the journey of donation and transplantation. Their strength shows the power of compassion and care.
How You Can Give the Gift of Life
In honor of National Nurses Week, there are ways you can provide support to those waiting for a lifesaving transplant. Currently, there are nearly 1,300 people in Colorado and Wyoming on the waitlist and more than 100,000 people nationally. Say “yes” to registering as an organ, eye and tissue donor the next time you obtain your driver license or state ID. You can also register today at DonateLifeColorado.org or DonateLifeWyoming.org. Once you register, you will receive the little heart with the Y on your license. That little heart has a big impact – one person can save up to eight lives through organ donation and save and heal up to 75 lives through tissue donation.
As we celebrate and express gratitude for nurses and caregivers, let’s remember the essence of their work lies in caring for life. It’s a gift that transcends boundaries and transforms futures for those waiting for a lifesaving and healing transplant.
