The Urgent Need for Younger Donors
Gift of Life accepts all eligible donors between the ages of 18-60. However, Registry data reveals that transplant physicians tend to select younger donors if they have the choice. There are clinical reasons for this decision, including the fact that younger donors produce more stem cells, and that they tend to be healthier overall than other donors.
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Statistically, 79 percent of requests are for donors between the ages of 18 to 35, with the largest cohort being donors from 18 to 25 (representing 46 percent of the 79 percent figure).
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Donors between the ages of 36 to 45 are selected 13 percent of the time, those from 46 to 55 are selected 7 percent of the time, and donors from 55 to 60 are only selected 1 percent of the time.
The purpose of sharing this information is not to dissuade people from joining the registry. It is intended to highlight the urgent need for donors between the ages of 18 to 35 --- and in particular, those between 18 to 25 --- as being able to provide the best possible chance of survival to patients in urgent need. We therefore encourage as many people within those age categories to get swabbed as soon as possible!
The chart above shows percentage of donors by age
range selected by transplant physicians for their patients