Lifebanc

Since 1986, Lifebanc has been the northeast Ohio nonprofit organization working to save and heal lives through organ and tissue donation. Lifebanc began as one of the original organ procurement organizations in the united states and is a leader in the field and a highly respected organization regionally and nationally. Lifebanc serves northeast Ohio's population of over four million people and works with 80 hospitals in a 20-county area. Volunteers and staff work to educate the public about organ and tissue donation, encourage individuals to designate their donation decision and offer grief support services to families touched by donation. Lifebanc is governed by a volunteer board of directors; comprised of community members, clinicians, recipients and donor family members, who drive(continued on schedule o)organizational strategy with the vision of a future where organ, eye and tissue donation is embraced as an honor and a personal responsibility. In 2023, a record number of northeast ohioans gave the gift of life through organ donation (231) and additionally, 805 gave the gifts of tissue and 612 gave the gift of eye donation. This generosity resulted in 656 organs donated that saved the lives of 570 people. The amount of people saved by organ donors from northeast Ohio each year has risen over 40% since 2014. Organs from donors in northeast Ohio were transplanted to recipients in nearly three dozen states and the district of columbia. Many life-saving and healing procedures utilize donated tissue. The gifts of tissue donors will save the lives of burn victims, repair damaged hearts, give back mobility and restore sight to tens of thousands of people. Lifebanc provides extensive care for the families of donors that begins at their first moment of need and extends for up to two years past the gifts of the donation. Included is free grief support in the form of individual counseling with a licensed therapist, group counseling, and host of other activities. In 2023, Lifebanc communicated with 2,690 families, provided703 hours of individual counseling, and offered a variety of 10-week support groups and multiple one-time seminars. Lifebanc also helps coordinate anonymous communication between donor families and recipients and facilitated over 1,033 correspondences/updates in 2023. Despite the increase in organ, eye and tissue donors there remains a critical organ shortage in the united states. There are currently over 110,000 people waiting for a life-saving organ transplant across the country. There more than 1,300 people waiting in northeast Ohio alone. In 2023, over 200 people in northeast Ohio either died waiting for an organ or became too sick to transplant. The best chance those still waiting have at receiving the life-saving transplant they need is by increasing the number of people who register their wishes to be an organ, eye and tissue donor. In 2023, over 60,000 people in northeast Ohio registered for the first time on the Ohio donor registry. Best chance those still waiting have at receiving the life-saving transplant they need is by increasing the number of people who register their wishes to be an organ, eye and tissue donor.

Annually, Lifebanc volunteers and staff educate more than 100,000 students and adults in an effort to provide accurate information, engage the public and increase the number of registered organ, eye and tissue donors. Lifebanc also provides bereavement support and services to families touched by donation.