Statewide Iowa — Tens of thousands of Iowans checked the box to become organ donors when they renewed their drivers licenses, but should they happen to die of COVID-19, will their organs still be used?
That depends, according to Heather Butterfield, spokeswoman for the Iowa Donor Network.
Nationwide, more than 100-thousand people are waiting for organ transplants, while Iowa’s organ waiting list is nearly 600 names long. Organs are an exceptionally rare and valuable commodity and Butterfield says it would be a shame not to make use of those hearts, lungs, livers and kidneys that are healthy.
As yet, Iowa has not seen a dramatic upturn in the demand for organ donation during the pandemic, but there are fears about the situation worsening.
During the first year of the pandemic, Butterfield says the Iowa Donor Network set a new record for organ donations.
With less than two months remaining in 2021, Butterfield says this year is on track to break last year’s record, which would be the fourth straight year for new organ donation records in Iowa. Find more information at www.iowadonornetwork.org.
