The Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin is experiencing a major decline in organ donors, while waitlists for patients in need of transplants grow.
There are 1,450 Wisconsin patients awaiting an organ transplant, but there’s been a 350% increase in the number of people removing themselves from the Wisconsin donor registry, according to Colleen McCarthy, vice president of organ and tissue donation at Versiti.
“Organ donation is built on public trust, and we are losing it,” McCarthy said. “There is much national news with misinformation that creates fear in people.”
McCarthy wants people to understand that an organ donation specialist’s role includes supporting families, medically managing donated organs, allocating them based on priority and offering public education.
Especially on misconceptions.
Some people worry that their life won’t be saved if they become an organ donor or that they’re too old to donate one.
“We make every effort to save a life,” McCarthy said. “The oldest organ donor in the United States is 96 years old, so we evaluate all ages regardless of medical history.”
McCarthy emphasizes that if you have multiple health conditions like diabetes, hepatitis C or HIV, there are other organs in the body that can be safe for a transplant.
“There’s very few rule-outs in organ donation,” she said. “We just have to make sure that those organs are matched with the right recipient.”
Navigating life without a kidney
Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin is in need of kidneys, livers, hearts, lungs and other organs to save lives.
“The kidney is the organ in most need,” McCarthy said.
Among the patients waiting for a kidney transplant is Kelly Norlander, who has known since she was a teenager that she’d be in need of a kidney one day.
“It’s never easy when you know it’s coming, but I was able to wrap my head around it and process it all,” she said.
Norlander has a genetic condition called polycystic kidney disease, which causes continuous growth of cysts in the kidney.
She was put on the transplant list two years ago and has been receiving dialysis treatments three times a week for four hours each day for the past year and a half.
Dialysis is a process that filters toxins from the body when kidneys stop working.
Although Norlander works full-time remotely, she’s stuck bringing her computer to dialysis with her most days.
“Dialysis feels like a part-time job within itself,” Norlander said. “The longer dialysis is, the harder the transplant will be on your body.”
Long wait times for a transplant
According to Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin, the wait time for a kidney could be up to five years.
“I hope people think about Kelly and the others who are waiting on a transplant,” McCarthy said. “We understand that donating is a personal choice, but I think people need to spend some time thinking about getting accurate information on organ donation.”
Norlander’s father passed away seven years ago from the same condition because he didn’t qualify for a transplant.
Norlander also wants people to consider the life-saving impact they can have by becoming an organ donor.
“You’re not just saving one life, you’re saving several,” she said.
Keeping a consistent blood supply
The harsh winter, including the most recent blizzard, is causing residents to donate less blood this year, which has led to a blood supply shortage for Versiti.
According to Versiti, 11 of their donor centers and six mobile drives were cancelled on Monday. They are hoping to schedule 450 appointments to make up for the ones that were cancelled.
Versiti is also trying to prepare for the warmer seasons, as sometimes the supply can drop during good weather, too.
“It doesn’t take much to disrupt the supply,” said Lauren Patzman, recovery services supervisor at Versiti. “When people are traveling and getting ready to go somewhere for spring break or the holidays, those are the times we see declines in donations.”
Throughout the year, Versiti relies heavily on high school students, as many of their schools host blood drives. But when school is out, finding volunteers becomes harder.
Patzman said the organization attends festivals and local events during the summer to spread awareness about blood, organ and eye donation. However, sometimes it’s hard to utilize its mobile bus because people aren’t always prepared to give blood.
“It’s hot, people are walking around all day and may not be hydrated or had a good breakfast beforehand,” Patzman said.
The organization is urging more residents to donate blood to prevent another shortage.
It’s in need of all donated blood types, especially donors with a rare blood type called Ro.
According to Versiti Research Blood Institute, Ro blood is found only within 4% of donors and is often given to sickle cell patients. Many sickle cell patients in Milwaukee require blood transfusions every three to four weeks and need over 60 red blood cell units each year.
Other individuals, including burn victims, cancer patients, a mother giving birth and more can receive donated blood.
Patzman said the organization tries to keep three to five days of blood supply available to share with hospitals.
“If and when a blood shortage happens, hospitals do have to make difficult decisions that may include delaying surgeries and adjusting treatments,” she said.
Taking next steps with a quick visit
Patzman reminds individuals there’s always room to put donating blood on your to-do-list.
“People don’t realize how easy it is to just walk in and out within an hour, and it’s not as scary as people think it is,” Patzman said. “Blood is perishable and it has a shelf life.”
If you are interested in donating blood, click here to enter your ZIP code to find nearby donor centers or mobile drives.
To become an organ, tissue and eye donor, click here for more details.
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