American Liver Foundation Celebrates Donate Life Month with New Resources Aimed to Increase Living Liver Donation
A new living donor network will connect those wishing to donate part of their liver with transplant centers to help patients in need
Living donor liver transplants in the U.S. are disheartening when compared to living donor kidney transplants, yet the need is enormous. American Liver Foundation (ALF) is committed to meeting this need and is proud to announce a new living donor network for non-directed donors launching in June 2025.
Most living donors know the person they would like to donate part of their liver to, this is called directed donation. There is, however, an increasing number of individuals who would like to provide the gift of life to someone in need, whom they do not know. These individuals are known as non-directed donors (NDD), formerly called altruistic donors. With nearly 9,300 people in the U.S. waiting for a liver transplant right now, the need for living donors is great. Approximately 25% of people on the liver transplant list will die waiting due to lack of available organs.
“We are so proud to announce our new living donor network for non-directed donors, an effort we have been working on with leaders in the transplant community for the past 18 months,” said Lorraine Stiehl, CEO, American Liver Foundation and caregiver to a transplant patient. “Our goal is to increase the number of living donor liver transplants for adults and children in the U.S., and to eliminate the pediatric liver candidate waitlist.”
More details about the new living donor network will be available at the end of June 2025. Those interested in being notified once it is open for registrations may fill out this interest form: Living Donor Network Interest Form - American Liver Foundation.
ALF has a variety of transplant resources, programs and support available to patients and caregivers:
- ALF and UPMC are excited to announce three new patient educational webinars focused on various topics in liver transplantation. View the first two webinars in the series and register for the third:
- Register today for the final webinar in the series, taking place on April 3rd at 2PM ET, What’s Possible: Liver Transplants for Patients with Liver Cancer.
- A Rebirthday Celebration will be held on April 26th at 11AM ET/8AM PT. Liver patients, families and loved ones are invited to celebrate the gift of life, the importance of liver transplantation, and hear updates from guest speaker Christopher Sonnenday, MD, Surgical Director of Liver Transplantation at Michigan Medicine, Associate Chair for Clinical Affairs for the Department of Surgery at the University of Michigan, Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery, Section of Transplantation, and Associate Professor of Health Management and Policy at the School of Public Health. To register for this free virtual program, go to https://liverfoundation.org/events/2025-rebirthday-celebration/#form.
- Sharing the Journey—an ALF support network for transplant recipients. This virtual group meets monthly and is for people who have received liver transplants and wish to connect with other transplant recipients. Moderated by a licensed clinical social worker, this group provides a caring network of support for transplant recipients to share thoughts, concerns, and get the support they need.
- Sharing the Journey—an ALF support network for caregivers. This virtual group meets monthly and is open to caregivers of loved ones with liver disease or who have had or need liver transplants. Moderated by a licensed clinical social worker, this group will provide a compassionate environment for caregivers to give and receive support, reduce feelings of isolation and find ways to cope with the challenges of caregiving.
- Find a Liver Transplant Center, is a tool available on liverfoundation.org which provides a listing, searchable by state, of all transplant centers in the U.S. conducting liver transplants. It also includes the number of deceased donor liver transplants and living donor liver transplants conducted by each transplant center.
- ALF also offers a robust Living Donor Liver Transplant Information Center which provides free resources for those looking to find a living donor, resources for those considering donation, a complete toolkit with educational information and resources for donors and recipients, and a series of 60-second videos featuring topics such as: Living Donor Liver Transplant: An Overview, Sharing Your Story on Social Media, Tips for Sharing Your Story, Tips to Keep People Interested in Your Story, and Other Ways to Share Your Story.
- ALF is proud to be the first liver organization to join AST’s Living Donor Circle of Excellence and become a Strategic Partner. ALF is committed to expanding the network of nationwide employers which offer paid leave for living organ donors to help offset the financial burdens associated with giving the gift of life. Visit livingdonorcircle.com/partner/ALF to learn more.
Throughout Donate Life Month ALF encourages patients, caregivers and organ donors to be part of the national conversation! Share a liver transplant story using the hashtags #LiverDonation #LiverTransplant #LivingDonor #DonateLifeMonth. For more information about living donation visit liverfoundation.org.