Kentucky Organ Donor Affiliates report thousands of lives were saved from only a few hundred donations. Last year, KODA broke historic records in the number of life-saving transplants given to patients. Officials said over 700 lives were saved in 2023 from organ donations, and over 50,000 lives were impacted by tissue donations. Shelly Snyder is the executive director of Donate Life Kentucky and a spokesperson for KODA. She said she’s happy to see more people registering.
“It’s incredible to see that continued change and growth of the registry. I think as people learn more and more about the mission; they know people who have been waiting on kidney transplants and heart transplants and they see the need and the power of registering as a donor,” Snyder said.
Snyder added that the eastern Kentucky region alone saw major growth of new donors.
“There is a total of 127,641 registered donors in those 25 counties. Over 8,000 people in eastern Kentucky registered this year for the first time ever,” Snyder said.
KODA officials said kidneys are currently the most donated and sought-after organ. Although KODA does not work with live donations, anyone interested in becoming a live kidney donor can contact their local transplant center. Snyder said everyone is allowed to register as a donor and that there are no disqualifications for health status or age. More information can be found at donatelifeky.org.