Donate Life Month 2025: A Guide to Organ & Tissue Donation

According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), more than 48,000 organ transplants were performed in the United States in 2024, making it a record-breaking year for donations.² Advances in medical technology and increased awareness have contributed to progress, but there is still an urgent need for more organ donors in the U.S.

Source: Association of Organ Procurement Organizations

Donation impacts

Choosing to donate organs, eyes and tissues is a monumental act of generosity. One organ donor can help save or heal more than 75 people!³

Many people don’t realize the wide variety of organs and tissues that can be transplanted. For example, transplanted hearts and lungs can help people recover from degenerative diseases and resume normal lives, kidney transplants can help people move off of dialysis, and pancreas donations can help people with diabetes reduce their dependence on insulin. Additionally, tissue donations can be used to help burn victims, people undergoing breast reconstruction surgery, athletes with torn ligaments or tendons, and military personnel who have been injured in combat by repairing musculoskeletal structures such as teeth, skin, and the spine. Transplant science is nothing short of miraculous, and doctors and researchers are finding new applications for donated organs and tissues all the time.

Common Types of Organ Donations:

Source: Donate Life

Some types of transplants, such as liver and kidney transplants, can be performed while the donor is still alive. For a liver transplant, surgeons remove a piece of the healthy liver for transplant, leaving enough of the organ intact for the donor to live normally. For kidneys, surgeons simply remove one of two healthy kidneys from the donor.

Other types of organ transplantation occur when a registered donor passes away and their organs and/or tissues are undamaged. When this occurs, medical professionals work quickly to find a suitable recipient on the organ transplant waiting list.

The waiting list operates like a sophisticated matching system. Factors like medical urgency, location, blood and tissue compatibility, and likelihood of transplant success can determine someone’s placement in line.⁴ Once a donor is matched with a recipient, preserving organs for transplant is a race against time—every second counts to keep them viable.

Technology advancements are improving the organ donation and transplantation process in the U.S. Medical researchers are using artificial intelligence (AI) to better match organ donors with recipients by analyzing mass amounts of medical data to connect the dots faster. Machine learning uses predictive analytics to improve success rates by assessing compatibility factors and rejection risks. These new technologies can help give hope to patients on the transplant list who have been waiting for their turn to receive a much-needed donation.

Despite widespread support for organ donation, misinformation continues to discourage potential donors. Many people hesitate due to misconceptions about the process and eligibility. Common myths include the belief that doctors won’t work as hard to save a registered donor’s life or that certain medical conditions disqualify individuals from donating. However, the truth is that medical professionals prioritize saving lives regardless of the person's organ donation status, and most people qualify to donate regardless of age or health conditions.

MYTH: I’m too old to donate.
FACT: According to the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), you can donate at any age. It’s the health of your organs that matters the most.

MYTH: My family will be contacted by the recipient’s family, which could create an awkward situation.
FACT: Per UNOS, your information and your identity are only shared with the recipient if your family requests or agrees to it.

MYTH: If I end up in the hospital, the team won’t work as hard to save my life.
FACT: According to the Mayo Clinic, all health care professionals will prioritize saving your life and you will always receive the best possible care regardless of your donor status.

Misconceptions like these often discourage potential donors from registering, but according to the Health Resources & Services Administration, everyone should consider themselves to be a potential donor. As they emphasize on their website, “Don’t rule yourself out!”⁵

Source: Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network

Becoming a donor is a simple yet impactful decision. In most states, you can register through your driver’s license at your local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). There are also national registries like Donate Life America that provide online registration options. Registration is a simple process that only takes a few minutes. Just fill out a short digital form with your information and you're done!

During this process, you can specify which organs and tissues you feel comfortable donating after passing away. If your organs meet the necessary qualifications, they will be transplanted into someone on the national waiting list upon your death.

If you are interested in becoming a living donor, UNOS offers a wealth of information on the subject. Potential donors will need to undergo a full medical and psychosocial evaluation to ensure that they understand the known risks involved with donating an organ while still alive.

You can volunteer for three different types of living donation:

• Directed Donation – You specify the person to whom you wish to donate an organ.
• Paired Donation – Two or more compatible individuals donate organs to each other.
• Non-Directed Donation – You sign up to donate an organ without specifying a recipient.

This Donate Life Month, you can help by registering to become an organ or tissue donor and protecting your own health to minimize your risk of needing a transplant in the future. If you or a loved one find yourselves in need of an organ transplant, your major medical insurance may only cover some of the cost. There are likely to be additional out-of-pocket expenses for hospital stays, medications, and travel as well as potential loss of income while you recover.

Supplemental insurance from Allstate Benefits can help fill in some of those gaps. For example, Critical Illness Insurance can provide you with an added layer of financial protection by paying a benefit for major organ transplants. Interested in learning more about Critical Illness Insurance? Visit our website for more details about Critical Illness and our other voluntary benefits products.