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For Chronic Kidney Disease and especially Dialysis patients, discussing the idea of Kidney Donation is quite hard because it causes them to share intimate details about their personal health and reveal a vulnerability that no one wants to explain - the need for a lifesaving Kidney Donor. However, it is a very important issue that has the potential to save a patient's life as well as many other lives. The below statistics highlight a clear urgency of the need for more organ donors in general and living kidney donors specifically.

Organ donation typically follows two paths: In the first, the donor is pronounced clinically dead or brain dead, and they can donate their pancreas, heart, kidneys, liver, lungs and/or small intestines. Still, it is important to note that healthy individuals can safely (not jeopardizing their own health) become lifesaving living donors by donating a kidney or part of a liver, lung, pancreas or intestine to another in need.

People of all ages can donate. Even though there was a five percent (5%) increase last year of organ transplants in the United States, there was still a 91,096 person discrepancy between transplants performed and patients still waiting for a donation at the end of the year. What's even more unfortunate, the Kidney Transplant waiting list keeps growing and increasing wait times for a transplant.

Chief Medical Officer (United Network for Organ Sharing) Dr. David Klassen (Nephrologist) said in a Huffington Post article, "I’ve also witnessed the results of the severe organ shortage in this country. Too often I’ve lost patients because the organ they needed did not come in time. Too many lives cut short. Too many dreams unlived." The following are a few very sobering stats which Chronic Kidney Disease and Dialysis patients should share as well as their loved ones:

90,000 - The number of Dialysis patients that die every year according to Renal and Urology News.

121,076 - The number of people currently waiting for a lifesaving organ in the United States, as reported by the United Network for Organ Sharing.

100,269 - The number of patients awaiting a Kidney Transplant specifically. This suggests that approximately 80.9% of the entire organ transplant waiting list is made of individuals in need of a kidney. It is important to note that living kidney donation is very safe and if found to be a match, a donor would undergo a rigorous health evaluation before donating to ensure good long-term health outcomes.

22 - The number of people who die every single day, waiting for a transplant.

4,500 - The number of Chronic Kidney Disease patients that die every year waiting for a kidney transplant, as noted by the Living Kidney Donor Network.

6 - The number of people added to the transplant wait list every hour, reported by Huffington Post.

0 (zero) - The number of major religions that are against their members donating an organ. All major organized religions in the United States are favorable of organ and tissue donation and most likely consider it an act of charity.

Despite continuing efforts at public education, still major misconceptions and inaccuracies about donation persist. It’s unfortunate if a person decides against donation because they don’t know the truth about the fact that kidney donation is safe and it would help to save a transplant recipient's life. Therefore, use this article as an opportunity to educate people about the difference they can make. Share this information with as many people as possible and encourage them to consider the idea of safe organ donation by talking to their loved ones and physicians.

If you need assistance sharing your story and improving your chances of connecting with potential altruistic living kidney donors, then click here and sign up for the KidneyBuzz.com Find A Kidney Donor Campaign. Above all, never give up hope and continue to strive to lead the fullest and most fulfilling life you can given your circumstances.

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