Look Who it Was Random video

ORGAN DONOR SHORTAGE PROMPTS CREATIVE SEARCHES

1,353 views · Published 26 August 2015 · 1:44 · Indexed 22 September 2026

Channel: Ohio State Wexner Medical Center · 2015 · Education

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(COLUMBUS, Ohio) – Due to a staggering shortage in the number of donors, patients who are placed on waiting lists for organ transplants are getting creative in their efforts to help find donors themselves. Jason Rubinstein, of Dublin,Ohio, found a donor after posting a plea on Facebook. Others, like Lori Coulter, have painted signs on their cars and taken their messages to the streets.

“Patients are no longer just content to wait, they’re proactive and very creative in the search for a donor,” said Dr. Todd Pesavento, director of transplantation at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center’s Comprehensive Transplant Center. “We’re hoping their efforts not only pay off for them, but draw attention to the enormous shortage we’re facing in organ donation overall.”

Over the last 10 years, the number of organ donation transplants in the U.S. has been stagnant, and living donor transplants have actually dropped nearly 16 percent.

“There is an enormous need, but many people simply aren’t aware they can help or know how to go about getting it,” said Pesavento. “We’re hoping these efforts help to change that.”

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