Record-Breaking Year for Organ and Tissue Donation: Colorado and Wyoming Donors Helped Save More Lives Than Ever Before in 2021

This marks the seventh consecutive year of increased lifesaving potential in the region

DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In 2021, Donor Alliance, the nonprofit organ and tissue procurement organization serving Colorado and most of Wyoming, facilitated more organ transplants than ever before, helping save the lives of 642 people through organ donation and saving and healing thousands more through tissue donation. Marking the region’s seventh consecutive year of growth, the generosity of Coloradoans and Wyomingites contributed to a historic milestone as the U.S. officially surpassed 40 thousand transplants in one year, according to United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS).

Two hundred and thirty-four donors from Colorado and Wyoming helped to save the lives of 642 people through organ donation and transplantation in 2021. Saving and healing the lives of tens of thousands more, 2,082 tissue donors in the region also provided bone and skin grafts, helping recipients recover after disease or trauma.

“The achievements over the last year demonstrate the incredible generosity of the donors and their families throughout Colorado and Wyoming. It’s also the result of the tireless work done by our staff, partners and volunteers,” said Jennifer Prinz, president and CEO, Donor Alliance. “We are grateful for the collaboration of our incredible partners and the resiliency and determination of our staff, especially within the extremely challenging circumstances the last two years have presented.”

To further support our Donor Alliance continuous performance improvement efforts, the organization is implementing changes to make the system even better and welcomes a focus on innovation and ongoing research in the industry. Donor Alliance continues to invest in tools, technology and personnel to increase lifesaving potential. In 2021, Donor Alliance invested in preservation equipment to increase liver transplantation. The organization also hired its first full-time medical director, which has allowed for the expansion and enhancement of organ donation education for hospital partners. Donor Alliance added another surgeon at its Recovery Center to help maximize the gift of life while minimizing the impact organ and tissue recovery can have on hospitals.

In addition to a record number of lives saved, Colorado and Wyoming remained two of the most generous states in the country when it comes to registering to become organ and tissue donors. More than one million residents signed up to become donors in 2021, with more than 980 thousand Coloradans and over 83 thousand Wyomingites adding their names to the organ, eye and tissue donor registries. Both Colorado and Wyoming also maintained some of the nation’s highest donor designation rates, or the percentage of individuals joining the state donor registries, at 67% and 61% respectively—well above the national average of 49%, according to Donate Life America.

In 2021, in addition to facilitating local deceased donation, Donor Alliance helped coordinate 144 transplants from donors outside of the region, as well as assisting in 56 of the region’s 146 transplants from living donors.

Organ and Tissue Donation by the Numbers

ORGAN Donation	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021
Local Organ Donors	144	160	191	215	234
Kidney Transplants	246	268	325	351	349
Liver Transplants	88	98	119	141	134
Heart Transplants	43	59	63	68	68
Lung Transplants	24	52	72	54	72
Pancreas Transplants	6	11	15	7	17
Small Intestine Transplant	0	1	2	1	2
Local Organs Transplanted	407	489	596	622	642
TISSUE Donation	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021
Local Tissue Donors	1,752	1,684	2,118	1,899	2082
Bone Donors	832	902	1,109	904	1106
Skin Donors	1,503	1,512	1,950	1,664	1898
Heart Valve Donors	140	95	127	127	116
Joint Restoration Donors	97	90	121	83	124

Even with the achievements in donation and transplantation in 2021, nearly 1,500 people across Colorado and Wyoming continue to wait for lifesaving transplants. It’s with these patients in mind that Donor Alliance continues its efforts to educate the public on the need for donation and collaborate closely with 117 acute care hospitals, four transplant centers, division of motor vehicles and other partners through the two-state area. For more information about donation, or to sign up as an organ, eye and tissue donor, please visit DonateLifeColorado.org or DonateLifeWyoming.org.

About Donor Alliance

Donor Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving lives through organ and tissue donation and transplantation. As the organ and tissue procurement agency for Colorado and most of Wyoming, Donor Alliance serves more than 6.3 million residents and 112 hospitals. Donor Alliance adheres to the highest medical, regulatory and ethical standards, and meets every performance standard. By respectfully working with the families of organ and tissue donors, maintaining partnerships with hospitals, educating residents on the life-saving benefits of donation and inspiring them to sign up on the state’s donor registry, Donor Alliance is able to save lives through organ and tissue donation and transplantation. Colorado and Wyoming boast some of the highest rates of donor registration in the country, which directly translates to more lives saved and healed through organ and tissue transplantation. Donor Alliance is one of 57 federally designated organizations of its kind in the United States. For more information visit DonorAlliance.org or the Donate Life Colorado or Donate Life Wyoming Facebook pages.