Gift of Life Michigan sets record for organ, tissue donors in 2022

Blue, white and green infographic showing 2022: A Record Year with 463 organ donors and 1,821 tissue donors

Gift of Life Michigan helped a record 463 people become organ donors and 1,821 give the gift of tissue last year, saving thousands of lives and healing tens of thousands more.

The 2022 figures represent a significant 14% increase in tissue donors over the previous record in 2019 and an 8% increase in organ donors over 2021.

“This is a testament to the dedication of our hard-working staff, our hospital partners and, of course, our selfless donors and their families – they are the true heroes,” said Dorrie Dils, President and CEO of Gift of Life Michigan. “It is inspiring to see so many people choose this final act to save and help heal the lives of people they never met.”

Dils said Gift of Life is working on several initiatives to further improve the organ and tissue donation and transplantation system. Among them: Investing in new technology, advocating for required education about donation in public high schools, encouraging family doctors to share information about donation and creating more equity in the healthcare system.

“Our successes drive us to do even better,” said Dils. “Our ultimate goal is that no one will die while waiting for a life-saving transplant. We have shown that by working with our hospital and transplant partners and focusing on our mission to honor life through donation, we can save even more lives.”

As of Jan. 1, 2,517 patients were waiting for organ transplants in Michigan, with more than 100,000 waiting nationwide. Seventeen people die every day waiting for a life-saving transplant in the U.S., and someone is added to the national list, on average, every 9 minutes.

For more information or to sign up as a donor, visit golm.org/register.

organ donation in ann arbor michigan

Read More Posts

Dior Chambers is waiting for that life-saving gift

Dior Chambers is no stranger to kidney disease. It has touched every corner of her…

Read More

Michigan Senate recognizes April as Donate Life Month, introduces new bills focused on organ, eye and tissue donation education

Today, the Michigan Senate adopted Sen. Kevin Daley’s (R-Lum) resolution to recognize April 2025 as…

Read More

“I’m so thankful I’m here and for the gift of life”

Brett Bowman, from Woodhaven, Mich., was born with cystic fibrosis. Growing up he was in…

Read More
GOL logo image for new office phones

CBS Evening News shows organ donation in action at Gift of Life Michigan

Gift of Life Michigan opened its doors to CBS Investigative Correspondent Tom Hanson last summer,…

Read More
Londel Cook is living life to the fullest after his kidney transplant.

“Where I was, was not who I was”

When Saginaw-area resident Londel Cook was diagnosed with end stage renal failure at a young…

Read More
Shalonda Griffin with her late husband, Greg Jones

Turning pain into purpose

Gift of Life Michigan Community Outreach Coordinator Shalonda Griffin’s late husband Greg was the ‘greatest…

Read More
Scroll to Top