April marks National Donate Life Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about the lifesaving impact of organ donation and the critical need for organ donors. The statistics are staggering—more than 100,000 people across the United States are currently waiting for an organ transplant, and every day, an average of 17 people die while waiting.
Organ donation is the process of removing healthy organs from a deceased or living donor and transplanting them into a recipient in need. Kidneys are the most needed organ, with more than 90,000 patients currently on the waiting list. In Middle Tennessee alone, around 3,000 people are awaiting a transplant, with the vast majority needing kidneys.
Dr. Jacfranz Guiteau, a kidney transplant surgeon at Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital West Kidney Transplant Center, underscores the growing urgency of organ donation. “Each year, the kidney transplant waitlist grows by approximately 30,000 to 35,000 new patients,” says Dr. Guiteau. “For those waiting on a deceased donor kidney, the average wait time in Middle Tennessee can range from three to seven years, depending on blood type and location. In dense urban areas like New York or California, the wait can extend up to ten years.”
As demand outpaces supply, living kidney donation has become a key solution to reducing wait times and improving patient outcomes. Dr. Guiteau explains, “A kidney from a living donor lasts twice as long as one from a deceased donor. While a deceased donor kidney may function for 7 to 10 years on average, a living donor kidney lasts on average between 15 to 20 years and begins working immediately.”
Saint Thomas Hospital Kidney Transplant Center is committed to increasing awareness and accessibility for potential living donors. “If you are waiting three to seven years for a deceased donor kidney, you might as well be looking for a living donor during that time,” says Dr. Guiteau. “With a living donor, we can reduce your wait time to as little as 8 to 12 weeks.”
Any healthy adult over the age of 25 can be considered as a potential donor with those between 18 - 25 considered on a case by case basis. To ensure donor safety, Saint Thomas provides education about the donation process, including the risks and benefits associated with kidney donation. Those interested in becoming a living donor can visit the Saint Thomas Hospital Kidney Transplant website and complete an online medical questionnaire, which is personally reviewed by our kidney transplant surgeons to determine donor eligibility.
By choosing to become an organ donor, whether deceased or living, individuals can save and enhance lives. This National Donate Life Month, Saint Thomas encourages everyone to learn more, register as an organ donor, and consider the transformative power of living donation.
Media Opportunity
Over the past year, organ, eye and tissue donors have given many Saint Thomas patients their own new beginning. We will honor the donors who made this gift of life possible during a special event at Saint Thomas Hospital West.
April 27, 2025 | 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital West
Dining Room B
4220 Harding Pike, Nashville, TN 37205
