On this Valentine’s Day, Nebraskans are being encouraged to register as an organ donor and help save the life of someone in need. National Donor Day is observed each year on February 14 to celebrate those who have signed up to be an organ donor and to raise awareness about the importance of organ donation.
“There are so many people in the United States and metro Omaha and Lincoln area who suffer from diseases that can only be cured or treated with organ transplantation,” says Dr. Alan Langnas, Chief of Transplantation at Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.
He says there are many people who have gotten a second chance at life through someone else’s generosity. “Somebody can donate a heart, lung, liver, kidney or pancreas. The unfortunate circumstances of one person can dramatically transform the lives of so many others.”
Langnas says becoming a donor is as easy as going to the DMV. You can indicate you want to be a donor when you apply or renew your drivers license. If you have a heart on your license, that means you are a registered organ and tissue donor.
In 2024, Nebraska Medical Center achieved new records for the number of kidney, liver, and lung transplants performed in a year. Langnas says they performed 188 kidney transplants, 150 liver transplants, 17 lung transplants and 41 heart transplants.
Thirteen patients received transplants involving multiple organs that included a kidney or a liver.