How to help the 475-plus Kansans on national transplant waiting list
Throughout the country, the Midwest is known for its kindness and generosity. We are driven by community and our passion for helping one another.
This April, in recognition of National Donate Life Month, we celebrated some of our most generous neighbors: those who have made the decision to donate their organs and give the gift of life.
I see the impacts of donation every single day as the president and CEO of Midwest Transplant Network, a nonprofit organ procurement organization (OPO) serving the entire state of Kansas and the western two-thirds of Missouri. We care for donors and their families, educate the public, raise awareness and encourage others to save lives by registering as donors.
More importantly, we facilitate every deceased organ, eye and tissue donation in our region. This includes identifying registered or potential donors, evaluating them for eligibility, working with their families through the recovery process and then racing the organs to matched patients in need of transplants.
I’m proud of the work our team has accomplished to support donor heroes and their families, who give life to others in their darkest hours. We come together — in hospital hallways, at commemorative events or even over a simple phone call — to remember and cherish their departed loved ones.
Our story began in 1972, when transplant leaders from four Kansas City-area hospitals came together to establish a centralized approach to organ recovery. Today, as Midwest Transplant Network, we have grown into a leading OPO saving hundreds of lives each year. This includes 988 transplants in 2023 that were made possible by 363 donor heroes across Kansas and western Missouri.
While we are inspired by the many lives saved and donors honored, many are still holding on for their second chance. Over 100,000 people are currently on the national transplant waiting list, including 476 Kansans and 2,021 Missourians.
Until those numbers are zero, we will never stop.
All it takes is a willingness and dedication by members of our community to advocate for organ donation and raise registration rates. We partner with churches, schools, sports teams, DMV offices, volunteer groups and anyone else who wants to help others. I continue to be overwhelmed by the outpouring of support I have seen from our friends and neighbors, who truly embody the Midwest’s spirit of generosity.
Our founding executive director once told me: “The very lives of others depend on us,” and that stuck with me for 30 years.
Midwest Transplant Network and our partners are always seeking to improve donation and transplantation rates. We want every donor family to feel supported, and for every patient on the waitlist to know that we and thousands of others are fighting for them.
By registering, you could save up to eight lives through organ donation and over 100 more through eye and tissue donation. Please visit www.mwtn.org/share-life-midwest to join the registry and learn how you can become a hero today.
Jan Finn, RN, MSN, is the president and CEO of Midwest Transplant Network, a nonprofit organ procurement organization serving Kansas and the western two-thirds of Missouri since 1973.
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