2023 marked record year for organ donations in New England

GRANBY, MA (WGGB/WSHM) - The year 2023 was a record-breaking year for organ donations in the New England region. Granby’s Glen Wiley received a liver transplant in November 2015, just months after being diagnosed with cancer.

“When I was first diagnosed, I didn’t know whether I would see my son graduate from high school. Well, I’ve seen him graduate from college, go through a couple of different jobs...Totally changed my life and totally changed my outlook on life,” Wiley explained.

His transplant was made possible through New England Donor Services, which is coming off a banner year for success stories. In 2023, they broke a record by coordinating 549 organ donations, which resulted in 1,401 transplants. Transplant centers in Massachusetts performed 1,082 lifesaving transplants overall and, the first time ever, went over the 1,000 plateau in the commonwealth.

“Behind each of these numbers are incredible lifesaving stories. The impact is real, so for each one of these patients, it’s not just that their life is saved, but the impact on their family, their community,” said Alexandra Glazier, president and CEO of New England Donor Services.

New England Donor Services is a charitable nonprofit organization that helps coordinate organ and tissue donations for transplant in the New England region. Glazier told Western Mass News that there has been a 52 percent increase in donations since 2020 and 100 percent over the last decade.

“We think it’s related to increased awareness in the public and more people saying yes to organ donation, which is really important,” Glazier explained.

Now, in his ninth year since his lifesaving procedure, Wiley is going around and spreading awareness as a registry ambassador. Shortly after his diagnosis, he bought a Corvette and he currently uses it for a specific cause.

“Every April, it becomes a ‘Donate Life’ Corvette, so we go to all of these different events and different state houses,” Wiley explained. “Just spreading the word on how important organ donation is.”

Meanwhile, Glazier told us that, right now, there are 100,000 people in need of an organ transplant, including 6,000 in New England, so it is critical to keep spreading the word about success stories like Wiley’s.

“What we are seeing is the absolute best of humanity in sometimes the most difficult of circumstances. We’re seeing people who are willing to give to others who they do not know but they know are in need,” Glazier noted.

Glazier said there are several ways you can sign up to donate, including:

• When you renew your license (can do that online through the Mass. RMV)
• registerme.org at any time and register as organ and tissue donor
• Health app on iPhone