Few things tug at our heartstrings more than a sick child. For parents like Alexis Thomas, the agonizing pain of waiting for a lifesaving transplant is all too real.
Thomas tears up when she recalls the three harrowing months she and her partner spent waiting for a liver to become available for their infant daughter, Olivia. By the time Olivia was 10 months old, her health was precarious because of liver malfunction.
“You just hope for that call,” she said. “Every day you hope for that call to come.”
Miraculously, a liver became available, and the transplant was successful. Olivia’s story had a happy ending, but children like her remain on the transplant list.
Ending that heartbreaking uncertainty and making sure all children in need of transplants receive them without delay is the goal of National Pediatric Transplant Week.
What is National Pediatric Transplant Week?
Celebrated each April, National Pediatric Transplant Week provides an opportunity to advocate for this goal in a variety of ways. Throughout the week, clinical partners share patient stories, donor families whose children have saved and healed lives through organ, eye, and tissue donation are honored, and recipient families share their gratitude and milestone celebrations. In 2024, National Pediatric Transplant Week takes place April 21-27.
National Pediatric Transplant Week was developed by Donate Life America in partnership with the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), the American Society of Transplantation (AST), the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS), the International Transplant Nurses Society (ITNS), and Transplant Families.
To raise awareness about this important week, we’ve compiled a list of frequently asked questions about pediatric transplants:
Q: How many children are currently waiting for organ transplants in the U.S.?
A: More than 2,100 children under the age of 19 are in need of organ transplants. 33% of those children are under the age of five.
Q: What are some common challenges faced by families of children awaiting organ transplants?
A: Families of children awaiting organ transplants often face emotional, financial, and logistical challenges. Because of the uncertainty while waiting for a transplant, many families must live far from home, creating difficulty in terms of housing. To help address the housing struggle, Mid-America Transplant’s Family House was built as a “home away from home” for families awaiting transplant.
Q: Can children receive organ transplants from adult donors?
A: In some cases, an adult organ will be an appropriate match for a child in need of a transplant. However, what makes pediatric transplants different from other organ donations is that children often respond better to organs that match in size to their own.
Q: Can children be registered as an organ donor?
A: Yes, children can register as organ donors. In the tragic event that a child’s life is lost too soon, their organs and tissues could save the lives of other children in need. However, until they’re an adult, the parents or legal next of kin of a registered donor under the age of 18 still have the final say.
In 2020, more than 1,700 children received life-saving transplants, matched from nearly 900 pediatric organ donors. While the donors ranged in age from newborns to 17, most donors were between 11 and 17 years old.
Q: What kind of transplants do children usually receive?
A: According to Donate Life America, these are the most common organ transplants by age:
- Under the age of 1: liver or heart transplant
- Ages 1–5: kidney, heart, or liver transplant
- Ages 6–10: kidney or heart transplant
- Ages 11–17: kidney transplant
Q: What illnesses or issues require pediatric transplantation?
A: Some of the most common conditions that can require a child to undergo an organ transplant include:
- Kidney conditions such as acute kidney failure and chronic kidney disease
- Liver conditions such as biliary atresia, metabolic diseases, acute and chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, and congenital hepatic fibrosis
- Heart conditions such as congenital heart disease and cardiomyopathy
- Lung conditions such as include cystic fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension
Q: Is it possible for children to receive a living donation of a partial organ?
A: Yes, children can receive living donations of a partial organ. Living organ donation typically involves donating a portion of an organ such as a lung or liver while the donor remains alive. This can be another viable option for children in need of organ transplantation.
Celebrate National Pediatric Transplant Week by registering as an organ donor
This April, the mission is two-fold: raise awareness about efforts to end the pediatric transplant waiting list, and register as an organ, eye, and tissue donor.
By registering as an organ or tissue donor, you can bring hope to patients and families who are holding out for a miracle. Sign up for the donor registry and increase the chance that patients waiting will get the transplants they need to survive.