organ Recovery organizations

LifeLink of Florida, LifeLink of Georgia and LifeLink of Puerto Rico are independent non-profit organ and tissue recovery organizations within the LifeLink Foundation. They represent three of 58 federally designated organ recovery organizations throughout the country. We are dedicated to serving patients in need of transplant therapy and donor families, like the Rodriguez' (pictured right).

We collaborate with hospitals, medical professionals, other agencies (such as medical examiners and law enforcement) and the public to increase awareness of the growing need for organ and tissue donation. LifeLink medical professionals are on call 24 hours daily. Our three organ recovery organizations work with more than 250 hospitals and ten transplant centers while serving a total population of over 16 million people throughout Florida, Georgia, areas in South Carolina, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

  
Organ Donation
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The Donation Process

The Donation Process

The miracle of organ donation begins with a phone call. A hospital within our service area contacts LifeLink to let us know about a possible donor. This begins a complex series of events involving hospital staff, LifeLink employees and - perhaps most importantly - donor families. It is through this dedicated collaboration that lives are saved.

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  • Approximately 118,218 Americans are currently on the transplant waiting list.
  • On average, 18 people die daily while waiting for an organ transplant.
  • Every 11 minutes, another name is added to the waiting list.
  • One organ and tissue donor can save 8 people's lives and help 50 others.
  • All major world religions support organ donation and view it as the greatest act of charity.
  • Emergency medical personnel will do everything to save your life if you are in an accident, even if you have chosen to be an organ donor.
  • It is possible to have an open casket funeral if you are an organ and tissue donor; donation does not mutilate the body.
  • There is no cost to the donor family if a loved one becomes an organ donor.

donation Myths

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Donor Family Services
Commemorative Medallion
Commemorative Medallion

LifeLink's relationship with donor families begins in the hospital, but doesn't end there. In the weeks and months following the death of their loved one, we remain available and connected to donor families, offering bereavement support resources, maintaining contact through letters and phone calls and providing emotional guidance. When appropriate, LifeLink also facilitates contact between donor families and transplant recipients. These acknowledgements can often provide comfort while creating a connection between transplant recipients and their donor families.

Donor families receive information about transplant recipients through LifeLink and are invited to participate in our annual Donor Family Service of Remembrance, an event celebrating and honoring the lives of their loved ones. LifeLink also erects a Tree of Life monument every year, etching the names of donors in glass at our headquarters in Florida. Family members receive medallions commemorating their loved ones' gifts and have the opportunity to submit memorial fabric squares for inclusion in our donor family quilts. Please follow this link for more information on submitting to the Donor Family Quilt Project.

A Celebrated Life is a virtual memory book dedicated to celebrating those who have left a lasting legacy of life through organ and tissue donation. We invite family members and friends of these individuals to create a tribute for their loved one and share it with others so memories may be recorded and never forgotten