Organ donations decline with economy

The recession may quietly be taking a toll in an unexpected area -- organ transplants. After years of increases, the national numbers of live donors and those seeking transplants have declined at least partly for economic reasons, an expert says.

What's more, 2008 was the first time in 20 years that there was a decline in the number of deceased donors used for transplants.

The evidence on live donors is anecdotal but real, says Michael Shapiro, who's on the board of the United Network for Organ Sharing, which controls the nation's organ donation program. He says UNOS board members at the March meeting said they had noticed a change since the economy soured last fall.

''Certainly if you are going to give your brother a kidney and take six weeks off of work, you might think in this recession whether your employer will think you're one of those folks he could do without,'' says Shapiro.

In South Florida, the number of donors in 2008 declined to 133, down from 144 in 2007, but 2008 was still higher than any other year since 1998.

Throughout the United States, about 110,000 persons are waiting for transplants, according to UNOS data. An average of 18 persons on the waiting list die each day.

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