The partnership will expand the shared mission to provide life-saving organs to those in need
RICHMOND, Virginia, August 20, 2020 — Donate Life America (DLA) is excited to announce a new partnership with Miromatrix Medical, Inc. in an effort to save more lives through organ donation and transplantation. It’s estimated someone is added to the national transplant waiting list every 10 minutes in the U.S. Unfortunately, 22 people die every day because the organ they need isn’t available. Both DLA and Miromatrix share a similar mission to provide life-saving organs to those in need, and their new partnership will help increase DLA’s continued education and donor registration efforts.
“Our Donate Life Partners help make our work possible through financial support as well as in helping us extend the reach of the Donate Life message,” says DLA President and CEO David Fleming. “We are thrilled to welcome Miromatrix as a new Donate Life Partner and are especially proud to work with an organization that demonstrates such a strong commitment to honoring the gift of a donor while also saving the lives of those waiting for a transplant.”
One organ donor can save and heal up to 75 people, yet 8,000 patients who are on the transplant waiting list this year sadly won’t receive an organ in time. Like DLA, Miromatrix is hoping to bridge the gap. Founded in 2009 from a breakthrough process of perfusion decellularization and recellularization developed at the University of Minnesota, Miromatrix is creating a new source of transplantable organs by bioengineering fully functioning livers, kidneys, lungs and hearts with the ultimate goal of developing patient-specific organs.
“Our mission is to take the organs that aren’t suitable for transplantation and turn them into transplantable organs, ultimately eliminating the need for a transplant waiting list,” says Miromatrix CEO Jeff Ross. “By proudly partnering with Donate Life America and bringing more awareness to this critical situation, we can turn the impossible into the possible and help save and improve even more lives together.”
Currently, 95% of Americans are in favor of being a donor but only 58% are registered. As part of the DLA partnership network, Miromatrix joins other champions of hope around the country, including LifeSource, the organ, eye and tissue donation agency serving Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, to increase the number of people who register as donors.
“More than 3,200 of people in our region alone are waiting for a life-saving transplant,” says LifeSource CEO, Susan Gunderson. “We need everyone to register as a donor. People’s lives are at stake, and we all have the power to help.”
For more information about DLA and becoming a donor, please visit donatelife.net. For more information about this new partnership or to set up interviews, please contact Hilary Kleine Czarda at 804-377-3584 or [email protected].
About Donate Life America
Donate Life America (DLA) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization leading its national partners and Donate Life State Teams to increase the number of donated organs, eyes and tissues available
to save and heal lives. DLA manages and promotes Donate Life℠, the national brand for the
cause of donation; motivates the public to register as organ, eye and tissue donors; provides education about living donation; manages the National Donate Life Registry at RegisterMe.org; and develops and executes effective multi-media campaigns to promote donation. For more information, visit DonateLife.net.
About Miromatrix
Miromatrix Medical Inc. is a Minnesota-based biotechnology company on a mission to save and drastically improve patients’ lives by eliminating the organ transplant waiting list. Through their proprietary perfusion decellularization and recellularization technology, the company is developing fully implantable human organs including livers, kidneys, lungs and hearts.
Miromatrix previously developed and commercialized the only liver-derived biological products including MIROMESH® (soft tissue reinforcement) and MIRODERM® (advanced wound care).
Miromatrix’s perfusion decellularization and recellularization technology is protected by a series of issued patents and pending patent applications in all major markets worldwide. For more information, visit miromatrix.com.
About LifeSource
LifeSource is one of 58 organ procurement organizations (OPO) in the United States – each OPO has its own designated service area to facilitate the organ donation and transplantation process. LifeSource serves the second-largest geographical region, focusing on Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and portions of western Wisconsin. As an OPO, we are designed to facilitate organ, eye and tissue donation between hospitals and transplant centers; support families and patients by honoring their intentions; and educate our communities about the impact of donation. To learn more, visit life-source.org/.
