Illinois Public Radio

Statewide: Giving more hope to those in need of kidney transplants

NPR Illinois | 91.9 UIS | By Sean Crawford

Published August 21, 2025 at 11:53 AM CDT

Over 101,000 Americans need a kidney transplant, but only 17,000 people receive one each year due to a donated organ shortage.

More than 100,000 patients are on the national kidney transplant list and around 30 people are taken off the lists everyday because they either became too sick for a transplant, or died.

Yet many kidneys from deceased individuals are discarded because the organs are no longer viable. On this episode, we hear about a company with a process to make sure more of those kidneys are given to the people in need.

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