News
Tennessee Donor Heroes Save More Than 1,300 Lives in 2025
January 27, 2026

Tennessee Donor Services (TDS) honored the extraordinary generosity of Tennessee donor heroes whose gifts made 1,344 lifesaving organ transplants possible in 2025, saving and improving lives across the state and beyond.
In 2025, 485 organ donor heroes said yes to donation, giving hope to patients waiting for a second chance at life. In addition, TDS facilitated 2604 tissue donations, garnered 1,016 birth tissue donations from expecting mothers, and provided support to over 3,800 donor hero family members, honoring their loved ones’ legacies through compassionate care and ongoing bereavement support.
Every lifesaving gift is made possible by the selflessness of donor heroes and their families, the dedication of TDS team members, and the commitment of community partners who raise awareness and encourage Tennesseans to register as donors.
Across the nation, the United States continues to lead the world in organ donation and transplantation, surpassing 49,000 organ transplants in 2025—an average of more than 130 transplants each day.
Still, more than 100,000 men, women, and children in the U.S. are waiting for a lifesaving transplant – 3,000 are Tennesseans.
Everyone is encouraged to #BeTheGift that saves lives by registering as an organ, eye and tissue donor at DonateLifeTN.org.
About Tennessee Donor Services
An Extraordinary Commitment to Science, Health, and Hope
Tennessee Donor Services a non-profit, organ procurement organization (OPO) dedicated to saving and improving lives by connecting organ and tissue donations to the patients who need them. TDS serves nearly five and a half million people in Tennessee and Virginia.