Zoe Mckey, Staff Writer
In 2023, a record 46,000 lifesaving organ transplants were performed, yet the need remains high with 103,884 people on the National Transplant Waiting List. Nearly 4,000 of these individuals are in the D.C. area, as reported by Infinite Legacy, a nonprofit facilitating organ, tissue, and eye donations in Maryland, D.C., and Northern Virginia. The demand is most critical for those suffering from end-stage organ failure, particularly kidneys, with 86% of those on the waiting list in need of one. Tragically, every eight minutes, another person is added to the list, and 16 people die daily waiting for a transplant.
Infinite Legacy has taken significant steps to raise awareness and support for organ donation, including establishing a scholarship in memory of Xan Korman, a 20-year-old Butler University student and organ donor who was killed in 2021. Applications for this scholarship are open until August 31. The impact of organ and tissue donations is profound, with one donor potentially saving eight lives, healing 75 through tissue donation, and restoring sight to two people through cornea donation.
