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New England Donor Services has fourth consecutive record-breaking year

A liver is prepared for transport after it has been removed from an organ donor June 15, 2023, in Jackson, Tenn.
Mark Humphrey
/
AP
A liver is prepared for transport after it has been removed from an organ donor.

New England Donor Services, a nonprofit that coordinates organ and tissue donation in the Northeast, received a record number of donations in 2024, its fourth consecutive record-breaking year.

Last year, they received 648 organs, which led to 1500 transplants. That’s an increase of 80% since 2020 and 18% since 2023.

Sean Fitzpatrick, a spokesperson for NEDS, said they have a new approach to talking to families about organ donation.

“Previously, it had been considered a best practice to bring it up only at the end of life,” Fitzpatrick said. “But what we have found is that families of the severely ill and brain injured want that information earlier so they can make a more informed decision during the decision of end of life.”

According to Fitzpatrick, one person can save up to eight lives as an organ donor and heal 75 people as a tissue donor.

He said the organization is hoping for regulatory reform because many donated organs go unused by transplant programs for waiting patients.

Anyone interested in becoming an organ donor can sign up at registerme.org.

An award-winning freelance reporter/host for WSHU, Brian lives in southeastern Connecticut and covers stories for WSHU across the Eastern side of the state.