(Falls Church, VA) – For the second year in a row, Washington Regional Transplant Community (WRTC), the Washington D.C. area’s non-profit organ procurement organization, surpassed expectations by recovering and allocating 444 life-saving organs in 2017 – an organizational record.

These organs (consisting of hearts, lungs, pancreases, kidneys, intestines, and livers) aided in saving the lives of 386 individuals throughout the D.C. metropolitan area and across the United States. These gifts also contributed to the national transplant waitlist numbers dropping from 118,895 in January 2017, to 115,639 in January 2018; a drop of nearly 3%.

In conjunction to the record number of organs recovered, WRTC facilitated the gift of 372 tissue donors which will be used in hundreds of life-enhancing surgeries across the country.

“Our team of experts exceeded expectations because of their passion, dedication and commitment to saving lives,” said Lori Brigham, President and CEO of WRTC. “We are so grateful to all of our transplant centers and hospital partners for helping preserve every donation option; to our numerous and selfless volunteers who spread the message of donation throughout the community; and the courage and selflessness of our donors and their families.”

Currently there are more than 2,300 patients on the transplant waitlist in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. WRTC works in partnership with 6 transplant centers and 44 hospitals to preserve every donation option, and decrease the number of patients waiting for the gift of life.

WRTC works throughout the community, educating the public on organ, eye and tissue donation with the goal of increasing donor registration, and ultimately saving more lives. To learn more, and register to be an organ, eye and tissue donor, go to www.beadonor.org.