Saving More Lives Than Ever Before in 2022 – Donor Alliance Community Impact Report

One Million Transplants, Propelled by Donors in Colorado and Wyoming in 2022

Donors in Colorado & Wyoming saved more lives than ever before in 2022 and you, too, can save a life by registering as an organ, eye and tissue donor.

“One million transplants. One million lives saved. One million families restored. The United States witnessed this historic milestone in 2022. We are in awe of the thousands of kind donors and their courageous families from Colorado and Wyoming who contributed to this remarkable achievement. And we recognize that for one million transplants completed, each donor, each recipient, has a story of their own – and is truly one in a million.

A million people whose lives were changed and saved through organ and tissue donation… there’s not a sports stadium that can hold a million people. Everything I’ve done, everything I am, is a result of one generous gift in the midst of grief,” Eamon Lujan, 17-year-old heart recipient from Colorado.

Our region recorded another record-breaking year for organ donation; the generosity of 278 heroic organ donors resulted in 829 life-saving organ transplants in 2022. This marked the region’s eighth consecutive year of growth, and a 19% increase in donors and a 29% increase in transplants compared to 2021. In addition to the lives saved through organ donation, we were proud to also work with 1,911 tissue donors and their families to recover lifesaving and healing tissue for bone and skin grafts, which will help up to 143,000 more lives to be saved or healed.

We remain passionately committed to continuous performance improvement, and we have invested in tools, technology and personnel to increase lifesaving potential. In 2022, this included preservation equipment to increase donation after circulatory death. We also elevated medical director Dr. Paul Lange to chief medical officer, which has allowed us to grow our physician services.

In addition to a record number of lives saved, Colorado and Wyoming remained two of the most generous states in the country when it comes to registering to become organ and tissue donors. Both Colorado and Wyoming maintained some of the nation’s highest donor designation rates, at 66% and 61% respectively—well above the national average of 49%.

We were proud of our awareness-driving activities in 2022, which helped propel understanding of donation and transplantation, and ultimately inspired residents to register. We had our largest-ever National Donate Life Month celebration, with a month of buildings across our two-state area lighting up in blue and green, local and state governments making proclamations in recognition of the cause, and more. Our signature Donor Dash and Donor Family Tribute events returned to being held in person, with tremendous attendance and impactful stories of hope shared at each. And we created awards programs to recognize and celebrate our partners and community organizations for spreading the Donate Life message here in our region.

Organ and Tissue Donation by the Numbers

We continue to be amazed and inspired by the generosity of residents across our region, and with another record-breaking year for organ donors, transplants and lives saved, 2022 was no exception. Each donor, each family member of a donor, each recipient, each partner in our effort to promote the lifesaving potential of donation, is truly one in a million.”

In Gratitude,

Jennifer Prinz

President and Chief Executive Officer

You can save a life by registering online or at your local Driver License Office as an organ, eye and tissue donor: Register in Colorado Today  Register in Wyoming Today