Facts
One organ donor can save up to how many lives?
8 lives
What is the most common organ transplant?
Kidney transplant
86% of of people on the US transplant waiting list are waiting for a kidney transplant
What states does NEDS cover?
MA, CT, RI, VT, NH, ME & Bermuda
A family can authorize for their love one to be an organ/tissue donor even if they did not register to be a donor
True!
The legal next of kin can make the decision to honor their loved one through donation even if they were not registered when they passed
Where can you sign up to be an organ & tissue donor?
State registry (local motor vehicle office), National registry (RegisterMe.org), MyChart/Epic and iPhone Health App
A single tissue donor can help improve the lives of how many people?
More than 75 lives
What organ can be split and transplanted to two patients?
Liver
How many blue & green walks does NEDS host annually?
2!
CT in the spring and MA in the fall
If medical staff see that I am an organ donor, they will not try to save my life
False!
A person who receives a kidney transplant will no longer need what?
Dialysis
What organs can be donated?
Heart, kidneys, lungs, liver, pancreas and intestines
What organ is most commonly transplanted with the kidney
Pancreas
What department at NEDS is responsible for caring for donor families?
Aftercare Department
You can't register to be an organ/tissue donor if you have a history of cancer or diabetes
False!
Everyone can register to be an organ/tissue donor no matter their age, health or social history
Every ___________ minute's someone is added to the transplant waiting list
7 minutes
What tissue can be donated?
Corneas, skin, heart valves, bone, veins & blood vessels, tendons & ligaments
This type of transplant can help up to two people see again from a single donor
Cornea transplant
Does NEDS help coordinate living donor transplants?
No
NEDS only handles deceased donation/transplantation
You are on your State Registry for life after you check "yes"
False!
If you don't recheck the box every time, you will be taken off your State Registry. You are on the National Registry for life unless you remove yourself
What percentage of people pass in a way that is suitable for them to be an organ donor?
2%
How many people are on the U.S transplant waiting list?
109,000+
(as of July 2026)
What tissue transplant is a life saving gift for a baby?
Heart valves
What town is NEDS office moving too?
Marlborough, MA
You are more likely to NEED a transplant in your life than you are to be a donor
True!
Who was the first organ donor?
Ronald Lee Herrick
Donated his kidney to his twin brother Richard in 1954