Chicago City Wire

Each April, Donate Life Month highlights the significance of organ, eye, and tissue donation. This initiative emphasizes registering as an organ donor and showcases the lives saved through such generosity.

UI Health uses this month to reflect on its history in organ donation and transplantation through clinical activities, partnerships, and community involvement. Dr. Enrico Benedetti, head of the Department of Surgery at UI Health, stated, “The UI Health Transplant Program is one of the oldest programs in Illinois... responsible for 308 kidney transplants last year.”

Organ transplantation depends heavily on donations. According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), over 100,000 people need organ transplants nationwide daily. A single donor can save up to eight lives.

UI Health focuses on living organ donations for kidney and liver transplants. Lisa Mariano, a UI Health transplant coordinator, explained that living donation "streamlines the transplant process," allowing control over the timeline towards restored health.

Benefits of living organ donation include shorter wait times, quicker recovery periods, better functioning organs from living donors compared to deceased ones, and more lives saved by reducing waitlist numbers.

An example of successful living donation at UI Health involves Raquel Regalado donating part of her liver to her mother in March 2023.

To accommodate diverse patients better, UI Health established a Spanish Language Kidney Transplant Clinic. Dr. Jorge Almario Alvarez noted that speaking Spanish helps ensure patients understand the surgery process better.

In 2023, UI Health performed the most simultaneous pancreas-kidney (SPK) transplants in the U.S., according to data from the Organ Procurement & Transplantation Network (OTPN). These procedures often treat type 1 diabetes combined with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Donate Life Month reminds us of the ongoing need for donors. Anyone can register as a potential donor regardless of age or medical history. UI Health collaborates with Gift of Hope to promote awareness and encourage registrations throughout the year.