Hundreds of Kansans and Missourians saved thousands of lives as organ donors | Opinion

Right now, more than 2,700 people in Kansas and Missouri are waiting for the phone call that will save their lives.

If that phone rings, their doctors and health care teams will have the opportunity to share incredible news: the organ transplant they’ve needed for weeks, months or even years can finally happen — all because someone made the brave decision to register as a donor. These donor heroes reflect the communities throughout our region — young and old, men, women and children. We see and honor their impact every day in every community.

In 2025, 371 Kansans and western Missourians saved lives as organ donor heroes. As a result of their selfless decisions, Midwest Transplant Network recovered those organs for 1,080 transplants. Our national organ donation system is the best in the world and is constantly improving thanks to medical advancements and new technologies that can keep organs viable for transplant for longer periods of time.

Organ donation cannot be considered until hospital teams exhaust every possible measure to save someone’s life. If that is not possible and the supervising physician declares the patient dead using strict clinical criteria, the hospital will then contact the local organ procurement organization, such as Midwest Transplant Network, to begin conversations with the patient’s family about the donation process.

After confirming donor status or consent for donation with the family, the organ procurement organization embarks on a nationwide search for transplant patients who are suitable matches, calling dozens of transplant hospitals. Once those patients have been found, surgeons will carefully and respectfully recover the vital organs for organ procurement organizations to then transport to those in need, bringing life and hope to patients who have been waiting to receive that phone call.

Finally, once the patient’s organs have been recovered, they are cared for with dignity and respect so that their families can plan a funeral for their loved one.

For organ procurement organizations like Midwest Transplant Network, the work is ongoing. Every donor family who needs support throughout the grieving process — no matter how long after their loved one’s donation — can count on us. Whether they join us in remembering donor heroes in April during National Donate Life Month, participate in our annual Donate Life Legacy Walk, or come to a celebration or family day event, they know their loved one is never forgotten.

Organ donation can be a complex process, including short windows of time to find matches, extensive testing and retesting to ensure a patient is suitable for donation, and perfectly timed flights to get these lifesaving gifts where they need to go.

But your role is simple — you just have to decide to join the donor registry. On behalf of Midwest Transplant Network, I ask you to have a conversation with your family about being a donor. Make sure they understand your decision and your status as a donor. Then, the simple act of checking a box at the license office or DMV can turn into decades of love, life and laughter for one of the thousands of people still waiting for their phone to ring.

Each organ donor can save up to eight lives and enhance the lives of 100 more through tissue donation. To learn more or register your decision, please visit ShareLifeMidwest.com

Jan Finn is president and CEO of Midwest Transplant Network, the federally certified, nonprofit organ procurement organization serving patients and their families in Kansas and western Missouri since 1973.