The demand is far greater than the available supply. More than 96,000 Americans are on a waiting list for transplants. Another person is added to the waiting list every 16 minutes. In the US, 17 people die daily while waiting for an organ transplant. The shortage of organs and tissues persists despite the fact that the public supports organ and tissue donation. 85% of the population supports organ donation, including strong support from health care professionals and virtually all organized religions. Less than 30% of the public have actually signed a donor card or discussed the issue with their families. Of all the deaths in the US, only 1-2% could result in organ donation – only about 50% of those individuals actually donate. If everyone who could donate did so, the waiting list for transplants would be greatly reduced. The high success rates of transplantation make the shortage of organs and tissues all the more tragic. Transplant survival rates keep increasing. The survival rates for transplants are about 95% for kidney recipients, 85% for liver and heart recipients and 75% for lung recipients. Donation is a decision for you to research, think about and discuss. Get the information you need to make an informed decision. Sign your donor card. Let the important people in your life, especially your family, know your wishes. People don't die because of organ donation. Organ donation happens because people die. Organ donation does not happen until after brain death occurs. The law clearly states that the doctor who pronounces brain death must have nothing to do with the removal or transplantation of organs.