Donation & Transplantation
Donation & Transplantation
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Donor Alliance continued saving lives through organ and tissue donation and transplantation, resulting in another record-breaking year for lives saved. In addition to facilitating local deceased donation, Donor Alliance also helped coordinate 140 transplants from donors outside of our region, as well as assisting in 39 of the region’s 118 transplants from living donors.
2020
A record-breaking year for organ donors and transplants
Colorado and Wyoming saw a 13% increase in organ donors and facilitated more organ transplants than ever by 4% in 2020, despite the challenges of the pandemic. Expanded age criteria for DCD donors and strong relationships with hospital and transplant center partners helped to drive the record-breaking results.
Saving and healing the lives of tens of thousands more recipients in need, 1,899 tissue donors also provided bone and skin grafts allowing others to regain mobility and lead active lives after disease or trauma. Strides made in tissue donation in 2020 included the use of a CT machine on pediatric donors to provide additional diagnostic information to coroners, the recovery of bone marrow for leukemia and associated cellular research studies and the onboarding of a new tissue processor to ensure Donor Alliance is able to meet its vision.
191 donors
215 donors
Organ donors
A record 215 Colorado and Wyoming organ donors saved the lives of 622 recipients in 2020.
596 transplants
622 transplants
Organ transplants
A record 351 kidney, 141 liver and 68 heart transplants were facilitated in 2020.
622
Lives saved
For the first time, more than 600 lives were saved through kidney, liver, heart, lung and pancreas transplants in a calendar year
1,899
Tissue donors
Tissue donation projections were exceeded thanks to tech innovations and new means of communication, including texting donor families
1
Top DDRs in the Nation
With a donor designation rate (DDR) of 68%, Colorado has the top DDR in the country. Wyoming is also among the most generous states at 62%
Meet Sammie
2020 organ and tissue donor
Hearing from the recipients has been amazing. I see how grateful they are for this gift. They know all too well about miracles. Each person has been so kind, thankful, and wishing nothing but the best for our family.
Sammie’s gift of life
Sammie was a loving, hilarious and stubborn 15 year old that loved helping others. She loved cheerleading, playing sports and being with her friends.
When Sammie tragically passed away in July 2020, her family knew donating her organs was what she would have wanted. Sammie’s gifts have brought her family peace during a time of unimaginable grief. They know that even though Sammie’s miracle wasn’t to be, instead Sammie became someone else’s miracle.
Some of the recipients of Sammie’s organs have reached out to her family and expressed their immense gratitude for Sammie’s gifts of life. Sammie helped others to live and gave hope to families who felt hopeless. Knowing a piece of her lives on gives Sammie’s family comfort.
July 2020
Sammie passed away after a tragic car accident
July 2020
Sammie’s liver and both of her kidneys were transplanted saving the lives of 3 people
October 2020
Sammie’s family received a letter from her right kidney recipient
December 2020
Sammie's family received another letter, this time from her liver recipient
Hearts and hot sauce
After his first heart attack at 25 years old and a second at 30, Tony was in and out of the hospital with congestive heart failure and varying degrees of kidney failure for the last decade. After being hospitalized once again in early 2020, Tony was told he wouldn’t be discharged until he received a new heart. After discussing heart transplantation with his doctor, Tony laid in his hospital bed every night thinking about the families of organ, eye and tissue donors. The families that would suffer the greatest tragedy, but would turn their pain into an opportunity to save lives.
In March 2020, Tony’s life was saved by one such family. He received the lifesaving gift of a heart and kidney transplant, and after recovering from the surgery has once again found joy in being able to do the simple things that are easily taken for granted. He is eternally grateful to his donor and their family.
September 1999
Tony suffered from his first heart attack
June 2004
Tony had a second heart attack and was diagnosed with heart and kidney failure
April & November 2019
Tony got his internal Cardiac Defibrillator
December 2019
Tony began his transplant evaluation
February 2020
Tony was hospitalized and added to heart and kidney transplant list
March 2020
Tony got the call that he would receive a new heart and kidney
August 2020
Tony finally returned to his favorite hobby, drumming
The staff knew my love of hot sauce, and several of them brought me bottles of hot sauce, unique stuff, and not things you find on the shelf at the big grocery store.
Tony's Story
2020 heart and kidney recipient
Meet Mary
2020 tissue recipient and wife of an organ and tissue donor
A husband's love
Mary knows better than most the healing power of tissue donation. Thanks to two tissue donors, she was able to have knee replacement surgeries in 2017 and 2019, and resume an active life. However, in November 2020, Mary needed a third knee surgery and received the gift of healing tissue from the most remarkable donor: her late husband, Eric.
In May 2020, Eric passed away unexpectedly and became a donor. Mary knew firsthand how much healing and hope donation and transplantation can bring. She also knew donating Eric’s organs and tissue was what he would have wanted.
Months after Eric’s passing, Mary was out on a hike with her dog when she stumbled and blew out her knee yet again. Mary knew that if she had to have another ACL replacement, she wanted to use Eric’s tissue. Thanks to considerable coordination between her transplant team and the tissue bank, six months to the day that Eric passed away, Mary underwent surgery and received a transplant of Eric’s patella tendon. She would give anything to have Eric here with her instead, but in his absence, Mary is heartened to know that she has a piece of him with her forever.
May 2020
Mary’s husband, Eric, died unexpectedly and became a donor
September 2020
Mary blew out her knee hiking
November 2020
Mary received Eric’s patella tendon during ACL replacement surgery
December 2020
Eric’s gifts have saved and healed 58 lives and counting
New liver, new life
A diagnosis of cirrhosis of the liver was the start of Mark’s transplant journey in 2013. As Mark’s disease progressed, he became more and more ill, eventually having his diagnosis refined to cryptogenic liver disease and losing his ability to work and live independently. Mark’s wife became his caregiver, spokesperson and ultimately even his memory due to a decline in his brain function as a side effect of his liver disease.
Mark was placed on the transplant list in March 2020. Just two months later, he got the call that he would receive a liver from a deceased donor. As he heads back to work and enjoys his family and new rescue dog, not a day goes by that Mark doesn’t think about his donor. He is profoundly grateful for a second chance at life.
Spring 2013
Mark was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver
Spring 2016
Mark’s diagnosis refined to cryptogenic liver disease
November 2019
Mark began transplant evaluation
March 2020
Mark placed on liver transplant list
May 2020
Mark received liver transplant
November 2020
Mark is now walking 6+ times a day with his rescue dog
Meet Mark
2020 liver recipient
Meet Charlotte
2020 tissue donor
Charlotte’s gift
Charlotte made hearts melt with her smile and brought joy to everyone around her with her contagious laugh. She loved being read to and taking walks while holding hands.
Charlotte also lived with Dravet Syndrome, a severe form of epilepsy. Charlotte and her family found that CBD provided profound relief from her epileptic episodes. During her brief 13 years of life, Charlotte helped to save the lives of many others who suffered by inspiring a CBD movement that made the nation take a new look at using CBD to combat epilepsy.
When Charlotte passed away in April 2020, she continued saving lives by becoming a tissue donor. Since her donation, Charlotte’s family learned that Charlotte’s pulmonary heart valve went to another child. Knowing that Charlotte’s gift helped to save another young life, and knowing that a small part of her lives on, has brought happiness to Charlotte’s family.
April 2020
Charlotte passed away following a lifelong battle with epilepsy
April 2020
Governor Jared Polis issued an executive order proclaiming April 7 Charlotte Figi Day in Colorado
July 2020
Charlotte’s pulmonary heart valve was gifted to a young child in New Mexico
Partners
Sharing our mission of saving lives
We can’t do this lifesaving work alone. The work our partners and stakeholders do throughout the donation and transplantation process is vital. These important partners include driver license offices, hospitals, transplant centers, coroners and funeral homes, all of whom help to ensure smooth referrals, recoveries and transplants.
View data for:
Acute Care Hospital Referrals
| Colorado | Tissue Donors | Organ Donors | Organs TX |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas Valley Regional Medial Center | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Aspen Valley Hospital | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Avista Adventist Hospital | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Banner Fort Collins Medical Center | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Boulder Community Health Foothills | 24 | 2 | 8 |
| Castle Rock Adventist Health Campus | 9 | 1 | 3 |
| Children’s Hospital Colorado | 11 | 4 | 11 |
| Children’s Hospital Colorado – Colorado Springs | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Colorado Canyons Hospital & Medical Center | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Colorado Plains Medical Center | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Community Hospital (Grand Junction) | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Craig Hospital | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Delta County Memorial Hospital | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Denver Health Medical Center | 38 | 17 | 59 |
| East Morgan County Hospital | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Good Samaritan Medical Center | 59 | 6 | 20 |
| Grand Junction VA Medical Center | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Grand River Health | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Gunnison Valley Hospital | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Haxtun Hospital District | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Kit Carson County Memorial Hospital | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Littleton Adventist Hospital | 67 | 6 | 18 |
| Longmont United Hospital | 16 | 1 | 3 |
| Lutheran Medical Center | 73 | 9 | 16 |
| McKee Medical Center | 17 | 3 | 11 |
| Melissa Memorial Hospital | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Mercy Regional Medical Center | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Middle Park Medical Center Granby | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Middle Park Medical Center Kremmling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Montrose Memorial Hospital | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| Mount San Rafael Hospital | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| North Colorado Medical Center | 49 | 6 | 18 |
| North Suburban Medical Center | 48 | 6 | 23 |
| Parker Adventist Hospital | 54 | 7 | 20 |
| Parkview Medical Center | 44 | 5 | 18 |
| Penrose Hospital | 59 | 6 | 19 |
| Pikes Peak Regional Hospital | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Pioneers Medical Center | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Platte Valley Medical Center | 6 | 4 | 16 |
| Porter Adventist Hospital | 25 | 2 | 4 |
| Presbyterian/ St. Luke’s Medical Center | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Prowers Medical Center | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Rio Grande Hospital | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Rose Medical Center | 18 | 3 | 5 |
| Saint Joseph Hospital | 25 | 0 | 0 |
| San Luis Valley Regional Medical Center | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Sedgwick County Memorial Hospital | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Sky Ridge Medical Center | 36 | 1 | 2 |
| Southwest Memorial Hospital | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Spanish Peaks Regional Health Center | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| St. Anthony Hospital | 129 | 15 | 47 |
| St. Anthony North Health Campus | 32 | 1 | 1 |
| St. Anthony Summit Medical Center | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| St. Francis Medical Center | 20 | 2 | 4 |
| St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| St. Mary’s Medical Center | 95 | 14 | 42 |
| St. Thomas More Hospital | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| St. Vincent General Hospital | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Sterling Regional Medical Center | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Swedish Medical Center | 114 | 25 | 76 |
| The Medical Center of Aurora | 74 | 9 | 20 |
| The Memorial Hospital | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| UCHealth Grandview Hospital | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| UCHealth Greeley Hospital | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| UCHealth Highlands Ranch Hospital | 15 | 1 | 4 |
| UCHealth Longs Peak Hospital | 9 | 2 | 7 |
| UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies | 68 | 16 | 34 |
| UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central | 92 | 20 | 54 |
| UCHealth Memorial Hospital North | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| UCHealth Pikes Peak Regional Hospital | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital | 34 | 0 | 0 |
| UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital | 95 | 13 | 39 |
| UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Vail Health Hospital | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Valley View Hospital | 6 | 1 | 3 |
| Vibra Hospital of Denver | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Weisbrod Memorial County Hospital | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wray Community District Hospital | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Colorado Totals | 1621 | 209 | 606 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | Tissue Donors | Organ Donors | Organs TX |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campbell County Health | 7 | 1 | 3 |
| Cheyenne Regional Medical Center | 29 | 2 | 2 |
| Cheyenne VA Medical Center | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Cody Regional Health | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Community Hospital (Torrington) | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Ivinson Memorial Hospital | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Johnson County Memorial Hospital | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Memorial Hospital of Carbon County | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Niobrara Community Hospital | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powell Valley Healthcare | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| SageWest Health Care-Lander | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| SageWest Health Care-Riverton | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Sheridan Memorial Hospital | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Sheridan VA Medical Center | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| St. John’s Health | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Washakie Medical Center | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Weston County Health Services | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wyoming Medical Center | 51 | 3 | 11 |
| Wyoming Totals | 139 | 6 | 16 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Total | 1760 | 215 | 622 |
|---|---|---|---|
Coroner Offices
| Colorado | Tissue Donors | Organ Donors | Organs TX |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arapahoe County Coroner’s Office | 22 | 0 | 0 |
| Delta County Coroner’s Office | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Denver County Coroner’s Office | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Douglas County Coroner’s Office | 42 | 0 | 0 |
| Eagle County Coroner’s Office | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Garfield County Coroner’s Office | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Gilpin County Coroner’s Office | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Grand County Coroner’s Office | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Jefferson County Coroner’s Office | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Lake County Coroner’s Office | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Lincoln County Coroner’s Office | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Montrose County Coroner’s Office | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Park County Coroner’s Office (CO) | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Pitkin County Coroner’s Office | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Summit County Coroner’s Office | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Colorado Totals | 92 | 0 | 0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | Tissue Donors | Organ Donors | Organs TX |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albany County Coroner’s Office (WY) | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Laramie County Coroner’s Office (WY) | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Platte County Coroner’s Office (WY) | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wyoming Totals | 3 | 0 | 0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Total | 95 | 0 | 0 |
|---|---|---|---|
Other Referral Sources
| Colorado | Tissue Donors | Organ Donors | Organs TX |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broomfield Skilled Nursing and Rehab Center | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Callahan-Edfast Mortuary | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Compassus Hospice & Palliative Care | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Davis Hospice Center | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Denver Hospice (Lowry) | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Elevation Hospice of Colorado | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Estes Park Health Residential Care | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Home/Out of Hospital Death | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| HopeWest | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Hospice of Metro Denver | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Imperial Funeral Home | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Kindred Hospital | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| North Valley Rehab Hospital | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Northern Colorado Long Term Acute Hospital | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Porter Home Health Hospice | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Post Actue Medical Specialty Hospital of Denver | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| St. Anthony 84th Avenue Neighborhood Health Center | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| St. Anthony’s Breckenridge Medical Clinic | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| TRU Community Care (Boulder) | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| UCHealth Emergency Room – Aurora Central | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| UCHealth Emergency Room Fountain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vibra Rehabilitation Hospital of Denver | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| West Metro Fire Protection District | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Colorado Totals | 39 | 0 | 0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | Tissue Donors | Organ Donors | Organs TX |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schrader, Aragon, & Jacoby Funeral Home | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wyoming Highway Patrol | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Wyoming Totals | 5 | 0 | 0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Total | 44 | 0 | 0 |
|---|---|---|---|
Meet Robert
2020 heart transplant recipient
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Praesent ex libero, pharetra ac magna vitae, egestas vestibulum augue. Sed tempus iaculis lectus quis vulputate. Duis auctor aliquet orci eget finibus. Praesent consequat lacinia risus eget maximus. Maecenas ipsum mi, feugiat ac pretium sit amet, dictum eu metus. Nunc felis ex, porta id faucibus ut, sollicitudin dictum sem. Morbi dolor odio, maximus vitae enim vel, malesuada molestie tellus. Morbi venenatis et sapien id vulputate. Morbi maximus massa id ligula rutrum, in accumsan nibh convallis. Cras pulvinar nulla at mi malesuada consequat. Integer ac elit fringilla, tristique ipsum at, maximus neque. Proin at est ac mi congue aliquam. Suspendisse potenti. Cras ut urna nec ligula fringilla vehicula ut eu mauris. Sed ullamcorper interdum libero, vitae vestibulum lacus posuere vel. Maecenas viverra risus fringilla, rutrum felis ac, rhoncus enim.
In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Morbi efficitur augue et sodales eleifend. Proin vitae facilisis sapien, a sollicitudin felis. Integer vel mauris ex. Nulla lobortis nisi ut ultrices interdum. Duis malesuada scelerisque ligula at pellentesque. Sed a augue et quam tempus vulputate. Ut posuere luctus odio sit amet porta. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Aliquam aliquam elementum ex, vitae blandit est lacinia in.
Duis commodo augue neque, facilisis convallis ex mattis in. Nam suscipit sapien non imperdiet commodo. Pellentesque ornare volutpat bibendum. Curabitur blandit leo felis, in bibendum ipsum ornare nec. Duis ac pellentesque odio. Class aptent taciti sociosqu ad litora torquent per conubia nostra, per inceptos himenaeos. Cras dignissim interdum eros sit amet tempor.
