Spectrum Health’s Richard DeVos Heart & Lung Transplant Program was founded in 2010.
Its first heart transplant was carried out that year and its first lung transplant was completed in 2013. The program provides hope for many patients with end-stage heart disease and lung disease. In just a little more than a decade, the program is nearing a major milestone, with its 250th lung transplant.
However, as in most areas of many health care, transplant services faced a steep challenge in the initial phases of the COVID pandemic. We learned how the Spectrum Health program met those challenges from Dr. Edward Murphy, Spectrum Health Endowed Chair for the Richard DeVos Lung Transplant Program. Organ donation saves lives.
According to statistics from Spectrum Health, one person can save and improve the lives of 75 other people through organ and tissue donation. More than 108,000 people are currently waiting for an organ transplant nationally, and a new person is added to the waiting list every 10 minutes.
You can become a donor when renewing your driver’s license or by joining online at the Michigan Organ Donor Registry: https://www.giftoflifemichigan.org/become-donor.
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