News & Updates

Stories, breakthroughs, and policy updates shaping the future of organ donation.

Showing 40 post(s)

Xenotransplantation: How Pig Organs Could End the Transplant Shortage

June 15, 2024

Breakthroughs in pig-to-human organ transplants are rewriting the rules of transplant medicine. With over 103,000 people on the U.S. waiting list, xenotransplantation could be the scientific leap that finally closes the gap between supply and demand.

YCOD Perspective

Why Gen Z Is the Most Pro-Donation Generation in History

June 1, 2024

Surveys consistently show that Gen Z supports organ donation at higher rates than any previous generation. From social media activism to campus registration drives, young people are leading the charge to close the organ gap.

Policy & Legislation

The Economics of Organ Donation: Why Opt-Out Saves Money Too

May 15, 2024

Beyond saving lives, opt-out organ donation systems generate massive healthcare savings. The cost of keeping a single patient on dialysis dwarfs the cost of a kidney transplant — and the math only gets more compelling at scale.

YCOD Perspective

How YCOD Is Leading a Youth Movement for Organ Donation Reform

May 1, 2024

YCOD — the Youth Coalition for Organ Donation — was founded with a simple belief: young people can change organ donation policy. From school presentations to legislative testimony, YCOD is building a movement that refuses to accept 17 deaths per day as normal.

Awareness & Advocacy

From Grief to Grace: How Donor Families Find Meaning

May 1, 2024

For families who lose a loved one, the decision to donate organs is often made in the most painful moment of their lives. Yet many donor families describe donation as a source of profound comfort — a way to transform unimaginable loss into lasting legacy.

Medical Breakthroughs

Kidney Paired Exchange Programs: A Brilliant Solution to Incompatibility

April 15, 2024

When a willing living kidney donor isn't a match for their intended recipient, kidney paired exchange programs create ingenious swap chains that can save dozens of lives from a single incompatible pair. The math behind these programs is as elegant as the outcomes are life-changing.

Awareness & Advocacy

National Donate Life Month: Why April Matters for Organ Donation

April 1, 2024

April is National Donate Life Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about organ, eye, and tissue donation. YCOD uses this month to amplify our message and engage communities across New York in the fight for opt-out legislation.

Medical Breakthroughs

eGenesis Pig Kidney Transplanted into Living Patient at Massachusetts General

March 21, 2024

In March 2024, Massachusetts General Hospital transplanted a pig kidney from eGenesis — with 69 CRISPR gene edits — into a living patient. Rick Slayman became the first living person to receive a gene-edited pig kidney.

YCOD Perspective

How Social Media Is Transforming Organ Donation Advocacy

March 15, 2024

From viral TikToks to Instagram infographics, social media is reshaping how people learn about organ donation and driving registration numbers in ways traditional campaigns never could. The digital advocacy revolution is here.

Policy & Legislation

Bill A07954: New York's Push for Opt-Out Organ Donation

March 1, 2024

New York Assembly Bill A07954 proposes shifting the state to an opt-out organ donation system. YCOD has been at the forefront of advocating for this legislation, which could save thousands of lives in one of America's most populous states.

Policy & Legislation

The Ethics of Presumed Consent: Addressing Common Concerns

March 1, 2024

Presumed consent for organ donation raises legitimate ethical questions about autonomy, bodily integrity, and the role of the state. Addressing these concerns honestly is essential to building a system that is both effective and just.

Medical Breakthroughs

Living Organ Donation Reaches Record Highs in the United States

February 15, 2024

Living organ donation in the United States reached record levels in 2023, with over 6,900 living donors. Kidney paired donation programs and reduced barriers have expanded this life-saving option.

Awareness & Advocacy

Closing the Organ Donation Gap in Minority Communities

February 1, 2024

Black, Hispanic, and other minority patients face longer wait times for organ transplants due to biological factors, systemic inequities, and lower donor registration rates in their communities. Closing this gap requires targeted action.

YCOD Perspective

17 Lives Lost Every Day: The Urgent Case for Organ Donation Reform

January 15, 2024

Every day, approximately 17 people in the United States die waiting for an organ transplant. YCOD argues that this is not an inevitable tragedy — it is a policy failure that opt-out legislation can address.

Medical Breakthroughs

Machine Perfusion: How New Technology Keeps Organs Viable Longer

January 15, 2024

Machine perfusion technology is revolutionizing organ preservation, keeping donated organs viable for longer and allowing transplant teams to assess and even repair organs before transplantation. This innovation is expanding the donor pool and saving more lives.

Medical Breakthroughs

2023 Sets Record: Over 46,000 Organ Transplants in the United States

January 10, 2024

The United States performed over 46,000 organ transplants in 2023, setting a new annual record. While progress is undeniable, over 100,000 patients remain on the waitlist.

Awareness & Advocacy

The Donate Life Rose Parade Float: Honoring Donors, Inspiring Action

January 1, 2024

Every New Year's Day, the Donate Life float in the Tournament of Roses Parade honors organ donors and recipients. Covered in flowers — many provided by donor families — the float is one of the most visible organ donation awareness events in America.

YCOD Perspective

A Year in Review: YCOD's 2023 Milestones and 2024 Goals

January 1, 2024

As we close out 2023 and look ahead to 2024, YCOD reflects on a year of growth, legislative progress, and community impact. From new chapters to Albany hearings, here's what we accomplished — and what's next.

Medical Breakthroughs

Normothermic Kidney Perfusion: How New Technology Could Save Thousands of Discarded Kidneys

November 15, 2023

Advanced kidney preservation systems using normothermic machine perfusion can keep kidneys viable at body temperature far longer than cold storage. Several companies have received FDA breakthrough device designations, and the technology could prevent thousands of kidneys from being discarded each year.

Policy & Legislation

The Securing the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Act

September 22, 2023

Signed into law in September 2023, the Securing the U.S. OPTN Act represents the most significant reform to America's organ transplant system in decades. The law breaks up UNOS's monopoly and introduces competition into the network.

Medical Breakthroughs

Second Pig Heart Transplant: Lawrence Faucette's Brave Journey

September 20, 2023

In September 2023, the University of Maryland performed a second pig-to-human heart transplant on Lawrence Faucette, a 58-year-old Navy veteran. With improved techniques and virus screening, the surgery advanced xenotransplantation research further.

Awareness & Advocacy

The Crisis Continues: National Organ Waitlist Surpasses 100,000

September 1, 2023

Despite record-breaking transplant numbers, the U.S. organ transplant waiting list has surpassed 100,000 people. The growing gap between organ supply and demand remains one of America's most urgent public health crises.

Awareness & Advocacy

George Lopez: From Kidney Transplant Recipient to Organ Donation Advocate

August 1, 2023

Comedian George Lopez received a kidney transplant from his then-wife in 2005 and has since become one of America's most visible organ donation advocates. His story highlights both the gift of living donation and the importance of awareness in diverse communities.

Awareness & Advocacy

Apple Health App Makes Organ Donor Registration as Easy as a Tap

June 15, 2023

Apple integrated organ donor registration directly into the iPhone Health app, allowing users to sign up as donors in seconds. The feature has driven millions of new registrations and demonstrated how technology can remove barriers to donation.

Policy & Legislation

Colorado Links Voter Registration to Organ Donor Signup

June 1, 2023

Colorado pioneered a novel approach to increasing organ donor registration by linking it to voter registration. When Coloradans register to vote, they are prompted to join the organ donor registry — a simple nudge that has significantly boosted sign-ups.

Awareness & Advocacy

How TikTok and Social Media Are Driving Organ Donation Awareness Among Gen Z

April 15, 2023

TikTok and other social media platforms have become powerful tools for organ donation awareness, with transplant recipients and donor families sharing their stories to millions. Gen Z is engaging with organ donation like no generation before.

Policy & Legislation

How Spain Became the World Leader in Organ Donation

February 15, 2023

Spain has led the world in organ donation rates for over three decades. With 46.3 donors per million people in 2022, Spain's model combines opt-out legislation with a comprehensive organizational system that other countries strive to replicate.

Medical Breakthroughs

A Historic Milestone: The United States Reaches One Million Organ Transplants

September 9, 2022

In September 2022, the United States performed its one millionth organ transplant since record-keeping began in 1954. This milestone celebrates decades of medical progress while underscoring the ongoing shortage that still claims 17 lives per day.

Policy & Legislation

Senate Investigation Exposes Failures at UNOS: What Needs to Change

August 3, 2022

A 2022 Senate investigation revealed systemic failures at UNOS, the organization managing the U.S. organ transplant network. Thousands of organs were going to waste, and patients were dying on the waitlist due to outdated technology and mismanagement.

Medical Breakthroughs

Yale's OrganEx: Reviving Organs After Death Could Transform Transplantation

August 3, 2022

Yale researchers developed OrganEx, a groundbreaking technology that can restore cellular function in organs hours after death. Published in Nature in 2022, this breakthrough could dramatically expand the pool of viable organs for transplantation.

Medical Breakthroughs

Zurich Breakthrough: Keeping a Liver Alive for Three Days Outside the Body

June 1, 2022

A team at the University Hospital Zurich successfully preserved a human liver outside the body for three days using machine perfusion technology, then transplanted it into a cancer patient. The achievement could transform organ logistics worldwide.

Policy & Legislation

Israel's Priority System: Sign Up as a Donor, Move Up the Waitlist

January 15, 2022

Israel introduced a unique priority system in 2010: registered organ donors receive priority on the transplant waitlist if they ever need an organ themselves. This innovative incentive structure tripled Israel's donor registration rate.

Medical Breakthroughs

Historic First: David Bennett Receives Genetically Modified Pig Heart

January 10, 2022

In January 2022, surgeons at the University of Maryland performed the world's first transplant of a genetically modified pig heart into a living human patient. David Bennett Sr. survived for two months, opening a new frontier in xenotransplantation.

Medical Breakthroughs

NYU Langone Transplants Pig Kidney into Brain-Dead Patient: A Proof of Concept

October 20, 2021

In September 2021, surgeons at NYU Langone Health attached a genetically modified pig kidney to a brain-dead patient, and it functioned normally for 54 hours. The experiment provided the first proof that pig kidneys can work in humans without immediate rejection.

Policy & Legislation

Scotland's Deemed Authorization: Opt-Out Organ Donation Comes to the UK's North

March 26, 2021

Scotland introduced its opt-out organ donation law in March 2021, following the lead of Wales and England. The Human Tissue (Authorisation) (Scotland) Act uses "deemed authorization" to presume consent for organ donation.

Policy & Legislation

Nova Scotia Becomes First in North America to Pass Opt-Out Organ Donation

January 18, 2021

In January 2021, Nova Scotia became the first jurisdiction in North America to implement presumed consent for organ donation. The Human Organ and Tissue Donation Act set a groundbreaking precedent for the continent.

Policy & Legislation

The Netherlands Adopts Opt-Out Organ Donation: What It Means

July 1, 2020

In July 2020, the Netherlands became one of the latest European countries to implement an opt-out organ donation system. The new Donor Registration Act replaced the previous opt-in model after years of public debate.

Policy & Legislation

England's Max and Keira's Law: A New Era for Organ Donation

May 20, 2020

England's opt-out organ donation law, known as Max and Keira's Law, took effect in May 2020. Named after a young donor and recipient whose story captivated the nation, the law presumes consent for organ donation unless individuals explicitly opt out.

Medical Breakthroughs

First HIV-Positive Living Donor Kidney Transplant at Johns Hopkins

March 28, 2019

In March 2019, Johns Hopkins performed the world's first living-donor kidney transplant from an HIV-positive donor to an HIV-positive recipient. The breakthrough expanded the donor pool and challenged stigma around HIV and organ donation.

Awareness & Advocacy

Selena Gomez's Kidney Transplant: How Celebrity Stories Drive Awareness

September 14, 2017

When Selena Gomez revealed in 2017 that she had received a kidney transplant from her best friend Francia Raisa due to lupus, it brought organ donation into mainstream conversation. Her story has inspired millions to consider becoming donors.

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Follow the latest developments in organ donation policy and advocacy.