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Which Organs Can Be Donated?

Being a registered organ donor indicates to your loved ones that when you pass away, you would like to your organs to someone on the national organ transplant waiting list. Just one person can save up to eight lives with their gift of organ donation.

  • Icon of a Heart

    heart

    About 3,500 people in the U.S. are waiting for a heart, and many will wait more than 6 months

  • Icon of Lungs

    lungs

    The wait for a single lung transplant is around 2 years and up to 3 years for 2 lungs

  • Icon of a Pancreas

    pancreas

    The average wait time for a pancreas transplant is close to 23 months

  • Icon of a Liver

    liver

    A liver transplant wait time ranges from 30 days to 5 years, on average 196 days

  • Icon of Kidneys

    kidneys

    People can wait up to 3–5 years for a kidney transplant unless they choose to pursue living donation

  • Icon of Intestines

    intestines

    Adults and children in need of small bowel transplants can wait anywhere from 5–8 months

  • Become A Donor

Two women hugging each other
The Gift of a Life-Saving Organ

Organ Donation from Living Donors

Anyone in good physical and mental health over the age of 18 can volunteer to be a living donor—when one living person donates an organ or part of an organ for transplantation to another living person. The most common organs donated and what patients need most frequently are kidneys. Living donors may also donate a portion of their liver or lung. Becoming a living donor enables more people on the waiting list to live healthy, fulfilling lives.