Fast Facts: January – March 2023
Thousands of men, women, and children in the United States are on the waiting list for life-saving organ transplants. Together with our partners, donor families, and the community we work towards one goal – that no one dies waiting.
How many people are waiting for a life-saving transplant in the Upper Midwest?
Each day, 17 people die waiting for a life-saving organ transplant, and a new name is added to the transplant waiting list every 9 minutes. Currently, there are more than 100,000 people in the United States waiting for a second chance: a lifesaving organ transplant.
| On the Waiting List | National | Minnesota | North Dakota | South Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Patients Waiting | 103,817 | 2,279 | 126 | 365 |
| Kidney | 88,607 | 1,910 | 126 | 334 |
| Liver | 10,429 | 178 | – | 32 |
| Pancreas | 841 | 96 | – | 3 |
| Kidney-Pancreas | 1,955 | 170 | – | 4 |
| Heart | 3,397 | 89 | – | – |
| Lung | 991 | 34 | – | – |
| Heart-Lung | 35 | 2 | – | – |
| Intestine | 205 | – | – | – |
Waiting list data provided by Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) as of
April 18, 2023. Data subject to change based on future data submission or correction.
Totals may be less than the sums due to patients included in multiple categories.
There are more people waiting for a life-saving transplant than there are donors, making it incredibly important for everyone who supports donation to register. Let’s continue to work together and get that list to zero.
How many people have checked the box and registered as a donor?
Join those who have checked the box “yes” already. Help us reach our goal so no one dies on the waiting list.
Adults Registered As Donors at the DMV
| Location | Donor Designation Rate |
|---|---|
| National | 50% |
| Minnesota | 55% |
| North Dakota | 54% |
| South Dakota | 61% |
who register as donors at the DMV during a quarter.
Take a look at the Upper Midwest’s county-by-county interactive map of organ donor registration from driver’s license offices. View interactive donor registration maps.
By checking the box as an organ, eye and tissue donor you can save and heal lives. One person can:
- Save up to 8 lives through organ donation.
- Heal more than 75 lives through tissue donation.
- Restore sight for up to 2 lives through eye donation; and potentially heal up to 10 individuals through ocular tissue.
The Power of Yes: Donation Activity Year-to-Date
Donation is the most beautiful, selfless gift – the gift of life and the gift of more time. It means more birthdays, more first days of school, more family moments; and the donor’s legacy lives on through them. The incredible generosity of donors touched the lives of many in need of organ, eye and tissue transplants. Thank you to everyone who says YES to donating life, sight and mobility.
Donation Activity: January – March 2023
| Organ Donors | 67 |
| Organs Transplanted | 204 |
| Tissue Donors | 254 |