There are 8,486 New Yorkers currently on the organ transplant waiting list across the State, according to data from the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network (OPTN) and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Meanwhile, according to the New York State “Donate Life” Registry, only about one third of the State’s roughly 19.45 million inhabitants are registered organ donors.

 

Oct. 7 marked the 7th annual Organ Donor Enrollment Day. Montefiore Medical Center officials marked the day by setting up tables outside the hospital to share information with the public about the importance of organ donation, and to encourage people to register to become organ donors.

 

Leo Trevino, MPA, MDiv is manager of organ/tissue donation at Montefiore Medical Center. In the lead up to last year’s enrollment event, Trevino said that in the Bronx, there is a great need for organ and tissue donation. “People suffering from organ failure, and those who have an organ that has been damaged by disease or injury, come from near and far to Montefiore to receive lifesaving care,” he said.

 

As of September 2020, according to Trevino, there were over 100,000 people in the United States on the organ registry list, waiting to receive the gift of life. On average, he said, nearly 20 people across the country die every day from causes that are treatable with an organ transplant.

 

“By taking simple steps to register, each Bronx resident can join the more than 5.6 million people who have enrolled in the New York State Donate Life Registry,” he said. “Doing so can help potentially save up to eight lives through organ donation […] enhancing many more through tissue donation.”

 

The enrollment day initiative was started in 2015 by LiveOnNY, a team made up of over 200 clinicians, educators, social workers and others who, according to the group’s website, are united around highlighting the life-changing power of organ and tissue donation. They say they work tirelessly day and night, 365 days a year, to help save the lives of those in need of a transplant, and also provide support and comfort to donors and their loved ones throughout the donation process, and for years after.

 

The LiveOnNY team carry out their work to educate the community about organ and tissue donation through educational events, media outreach, and through local schools and communities.

 

This year, as usual, Trevino’s message was echoed by many public figures, including State Sen. Gustavo Rivera (S.D. 33) who tweeted on Oct. 7, “There are thousands of New Yorkers waiting for a transplant who are hoping that you’ll sign up to be an organ donor.” He added, “Sign up today for #DonorDay2021 at http://Registerme.org/EnrollmentDay!”

 

Hollywood actress, Katherine Heigl, also shared a personal message about her brother, Jason, who she said died in a car accident in 1986 and whose organs were donated.

 

Norwood News spoke with one organ donor, who is not based in New York State, who said some people who are born with an underlying medical condition may go on a transplant list straight away after birth, while others, whose condition may deteriorate as they age, may not necessarily, immediately go on a waiting list. Instead, she said, they may be able to, initially, manage their condition with medication for a number of years.

This is my brother Jason. He was about 12 or 13 in this picture. Jason was in a car accident September 23rd 1986 and was in the ICU on life support for a week. He was taken off life support 35 years ago today. One week before his 16th birthday… pic.twitter.com/2vwPzeajf3

— Katherine Heigl (@KatieHeigl) September 30, 2021

 

For this latter category of patients, the need for a transplant may [or may not] become more urgent over time. The organ recipient we spoke with said every case is different. For this reason, even though there are 8,486 people currently on the waiting list in New York State, it’s possible there may be others who are not yet at that stage, and therefore, the number of people who may eventually need an organ may be even greater.

 

According to data from OPTN, of the 8,486 people currently on the organ donor waiting list in New York State, 1,189 are registered with Montefiore Medical Center’s transplant center, one of 15 transplant centers based across the State.

The donor we spoke with explained that, depending on each individual’s unique circumstances, some patients may, in consultation with their doctors, take the decision, at a certain point, to start planning for a transplant operation, at which point they will then apply to go on a waiting list.

 

In New York State, as of Oct. 13, kidneys were the organs that were most needed at 7,299. Next was liver at 719, followed by heart at 324, pancreas at 146, kidney and pancreas, combined, at 136, lung at 107, intestine at 11, and heart and lung, combined, at 3.

We asked Montefiore what were the most common medical conditions which gave rise to the need for an organ transplant. Laura Ruocco-Duran from Montefiore’s PR department, replied, saying, based on her research by diagnosis, “The most prevalent diagnosis is Hypertensive Nephrosclerosis (HN).”

 

According to the medical journal, Science Direct, HN is defined as chronic kidney disease caused by nonmalignant hypertension (HTN), the presumed underlying disease in 10 to 30 percent of patients with end-stage renal disease, worldwide.

 

Meanwhile, in terms of the racial and ethnic breakdown of patients waiting for organs across the State, according to OPTN data, the number of patients waiting among the Black community (2,813) was almost the same as the number waiting among the White community (2,903), even though the State’s population comprises roughly 65.7 percent White and 15.9 percent Black.

When it came to wait times, Ruocco-Duran said, “As you can see, it varies by organ.” According to the data as of Oct. 13, 1,380 patients have been waiting over 5 years for an organ of one type or another. Of these, 1,245 patients were waiting for kidneys, 86 were waiting on a liver, 24 were waiting on a pancreas, three were waiting for a combination of a kidney and pancreas and 27 were waiting for a heart. Meanwhile, no patient in need of a lung, a combination of a heart and lung, or an intestine was waiting for more than 5 years on the list.

 

On the other end of the spectrum, as of Oct. 13, 362 patients waiting on one type of organ or another have been waiting less than 30 days for that organ. “There are a lot of factors that impact wait time, including organ availability and compatibility matching between donor and recipient,” Ruocco-Duran said.

 

She added that Montefiore’s transplant center also cares for patients beyond The Bronx and New York State, from Long Island to New Jersey and from Connecticut to further afield.

"Elvira was a wonderful daughter, sister, and aunt, always reminding each one how much she loved them. Elvira had a lovable personality and a very kind heart … Elvira was a generous soul, even in death, she shared her organs so others could live." #DonateLife pic.twitter.com/dGtKiLl6ij

— CORE (@COREDonateLife) October 16, 2021

On Friday, Oct. 22, The New York Times reported that in a first of its kind operation, surgeons attached a pig kidney to a person, and the kidney proceeded to function in the person’s body, according to scientists. The kidney was, reportedly, grown in a genetically altered pig. The success of the procedure is potentially opening doors for it to become a new alternative for much needed organs.

 

In the same article, it was reported that animal rights activists are opposed to the practice, however, citing animal welfare concerns. They advocate, instead, for increased organ donation by human beings.

 

Registration to become an organ donor is ongoing, and can be done by clicking on the following link: https://registerme.org/campaign/enrollmentday.