Sierra Donor Services Announces Helping Save More Lives Than Ever Before

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES, January 19, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Sierra Donor Services (SDS), the designated Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) serving Northern California and Northern Nevada, announces a second consecutive year of record-breaking organ donation milestones. Thanks to the generous donor heroes and their families, in 2021 there were 164 organ donors, 407 organs transplanted, and 956 tissue donors representing remarkable all-time records in the SDS service area for the second time in as many years. Over the past two years SDS has recognized a 120% increase in organ donations illustrating SDS’ commitment to those on the transplant waiting list both locally and nationally.

“Our gracious donor heroes and their families have given countless people a second chance at life through organ, eye, and tissue donation," states Sean Van Slyck, Executive Director of Sierra Donor Services. “We are grateful for the decisions Northern Californians and Northern Nevadans make daily to register as organ, eye and tissue donors in order to help others.”

Remarkably, these lifesaving milestones come during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. For the past two years, the SDS team, in collaboration with community hospital partners, adapted to the new challenges created by the pandemic and worked diligently to continue the miracle of organ, eye and tissue donation.

“This has been an extremely challenging time for all Californians and Nevadans, we celebrate our donor heroes and their families in their courageous decision to donate during the past two years of the devastating COVID-19 pandemic,” adds Van Slyck. “I am so incredibly proud of the dedication and commitment of our SDS team as they continue to work tirelessly in support of our mission to save and improve lives.”

In 2021, for the first time ever, the United States passed 40,000 organ transplants in one year, a historic first for the nation, according to United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), the organization that assists OPOs in matching donated organs with patients on the waiting list. The United States has the highest-performing donation and transplant system in the world, thanks to the dedication and hard work of thousands of dedicated professionals across the country. Launched last year, SDS is part of a collaborative effort by organ procurement organizations to achieve 50,000 organ transplants by 2026.

Although the number of donor heroes is increasing, the number of people in need of transplants continues to rise. Over 106,000 people are currently on the national organ transplant waiting list and over 20,500 of those are on the California waiting list. Approximately 20 people in the U.S. die each day because of the shortage of lifesaving organs.

We encourage everyone to make their decision to #BeTheGift as an organ, eye, and tissue donor by signing up on their state’s donor registry at BeTheGiftToday.com or at the California or Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and by informing loved ones of their decision.

About Sierra Donor Services:
Sierra Donor Services (SDS) is a nonprofit agency dedicated to meeting the needs of the community by providing families the option of organ and tissue donation for transplantation and research. SDS serves Inland Northern California and Nevada. As a division of the DCI Donor Services, Inc. family, SDS has offices in Sacramento and Reno. For more information, visit SierraDonor.org

Mark Johnson
DCI Donor Services
+1 615-564-3613
mark.johnson@dcids.org
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