Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

In the first half of the year, HonorBridge opened the doors to its new Donor Care Center in Chapel Hill, broke records for more deceased organ donors and organs transplanted than ever, and established monthly records in July for a number of organ donors and the most lives saved in a single month.

Through June 30, HonorBridge worked with 170 deceased organ donors resulting in 472 organs transplanted to those in need. Previously, 2020 was HonorBridge’s best year, with 136 deceased donors and 432 organs transplanted through June.

July was a record month for deceased organ donors and lives saved. HonorBridge worked with 42 deceased donors saving the lives of 110 patients on the national transplant waiting list.

“Each transplant marks a life saved or healed thanks to the decisions made by the heroic donors and honored by their remarkable families during times of unimaginable loss and grief. HonorBridge staff works each day to ensure we can maximize those precious gifts, not only out of respect to the donors but for the hope, the healing, and the life they can give to the recipients,” said Danielle Bumarch, RN, JD, HonorBridge President & CEO. “This is why we are so excited about our Donor Care Center and other new processes. As we already see, together we continue this upwards trajectory which leads to more lives saved.”

As Bumarch says, HonorBridge’s work continues. With over 100,000 men, women, and children waiting for lifesaving organ transplants nationally and 3,500 waiting in North Carolina, another person is added to the list every nine minutes, just as every 17 minutes, a person waiting dies. The rate of North Carolinians who have registered as donors, 55%, is below the national average of nearly 60%. More registered donors mean more hope, less waiting time, and more lives saved. It’s as simple as signing up at honorbridge.org/registerme or saying ‘yes’ to donation at the DMV.