Association of Organ Procurement Organizations - AOPO

10/15/2026

“𝗡𝗼𝘄, 𝗜 𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗺.” 💙💚

For Scott Hunter, those words carry a lot of meaning.

After two aortic dissections, major heart surgeries, and rapidly progressing idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, Scott left the hospital on oxygen and was given just six months to live.

In May 2024, Scott received a lifesaving double lung transplant. His journey later led to a kidney transplant in November 2025.

Today, Scott is making the most of the life his donors made possible. He bought a Class B RV and now spends his time traveling, visiting friends and exploring new places.

As Scott puts it, “𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙪𝙨: 𝙢𝙚, 𝙡𝙪𝙣𝙜, 𝙠𝙞𝙙𝙣𝙚𝙮...𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙢.”

Scott’s story is a powerful reminder that organ donation makes more possible: more time, more adventures, and more life to live.

This , give someone else the chance for more. Sign up to be an organ donor: RegisterMe.org/AOPO50K

10/14/2026

Jaime Tamez was a beloved son, brother, uncle, partner, and father who was cherished by his large Mexican family. He was funny, thoughtful, hardworking, and giving, always showing up for the people who needed him. He found happiness in making his family and friends laugh and helping them forget their troubles, and he always found a way to stay connected with the people he loved.
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“It was an honor to love this wonderful, resilient, and good-hearted man, who was my partner and the father of our daughter, Natalie Carolina, for 12 years. Though he has passed on, Jaime lives on through the gifts he gave through organ donation and the lives of those who received them.
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We love and miss you, Corazón. Siempre sigues con nosotros adentro del alma y corazón, Jaime.”
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Honor Jaime's legacy by saying “yes” to organ donation. Register today at RegisterMe.org/AOPO50K.

10/13/2026

𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺. 💙💚

Hospitals, organ procurement organizations (OPOs), and transplant centers each have distinct responsibilities throughout the donation and transplantation process. From patient care and donor family support to organ allocation and transplantation, each plays an important role in making donation possible.

Their roles may be different, but collaboration across the entire donation and transplant community is what makes lifesaving transplantation possible.

Learn more about the donation process: https://aopo.org/

10/01/2026

Meaningful outreach with Hispanic and Latino communities starts with listening, understanding cultural values, and creating trusted partnerships.

In this month’s Community Pulse Blog, Ingrid Palacios, Multicultural Outreach Program Manager at New England Donor Services, shares insights from years of Spanish language education, community engagement, donor family support, and culturally responsive outreach.

Discover how NEDS celebrates culture and traditions like Día de los Mu***os and creates meaningful opportunities for connection and education. As we celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, explore how learning and building trust can help strengthen our shared mission of donation and transplantation.

🔗 Link in bio to read more in AOPO’s latest Community Pulse Blog.

🔗 Interested in contributing to Community Pulse? Visit the link in our bio to be our next guest blog!

10/01/2026

Meaningful outreach with Hispanic and Latino communities starts with listening, understanding cultural values, and creating trusted partnerships.

In this month’s Community Pulse Blog, Ingrid Palacios, Multicultural Outreach Program Manager at New England Donor Services, shares insights from years of Spanish language education, community engagement, donor family support, and culturally responsive outreach.

Discover how NEDS celebrates culture and traditions like Día de los Mu***os and creates meaningful opportunities for connection and education. As we celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, explore how learning and building trust can help strengthen our shared mission of donation and transplantation.

Read more in AOPO's latest Community Pulse Blog: https://aopo.org/donation-perspectives/building-trust-through-culture-and-access-a-year-round-approach-to-hispanic-and-latino-outreach/

Interested in contributing to Community Pulse? Share your perspective here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/AOPOCommunityPulseBlog

09/28/2026

𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘀.

In a letter published by The New York Times, AOPO President Allison Erickson responds to a recent opinion piece that raises concerns about the safety, ethics, and oversight of the nation’s organ donation system.

Serious concerns deserve to be thoroughly investigated and addressed. But individual allegations should not be used to define an entire national system or the thousands of professionals who work every day to save lives, honor donors and donor families, and uphold the trust placed in them.

AOPO supports transparency, accountability, and continued improvement across the donation and transplant system, while ensuring conversations about donation accurately reflect the safeguards, oversight, and practices in place to protect patients and the integrity of the donation process.

Read Allison’s letter to the editor, published in The New York Times Opinion Section:

Readers respond to “Organ Donation Needs to Be Trustworthy,” an Opinion guest essay by Greg Segal. Also: Don’t eat beef.

09/23/2026

Gabriela was a loving, beautiful ray of sunshine. She was in her senior year of high school and aspired to become a clinical oncologist in order to save lives. Gaby had made the decision to become an organ donor just 5 months before suffering a seizure while driving home. As a result of this accident, Gaby suffered from a TBI.
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Gaby’s sister and I decided to follow through with her wish of organ donation. Although she was not able to fulfill her dreams of becoming a clinical oncologist, she was able to save lives and impact so many more. Gaby will continue to live on through those that she saved and those that loved her.
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Gaby's decision to be an organ donor brought hope and healing to others. You can make a difference too. Sign up to be an organ, eye, and tissue donor at RegisterMe.org/AOPO50K

09/21/2026

Organ donation is built on trust — trust that patients receive every appropriate effort to save their lives, that donation only proceeds after death is declared by the patient’s medical team, and that every donor and donor family is treated with dignity and respect.

In a new Washington Examiner op-ed, surgeon and former Congressman Dr. Larry Bucshon addresses misinformation about organ donation and calls for continued improvement grounded in facts, patient safety, collaboration, and respect for the lifesaving gift of donation.

“We move the system forward through sustained, measured improvement, not by spreading sensationalized falsehoods at risk of destabilizing the entire system.”

Read the full op-ed from Washington Examiner:

Misinformation about organ donation risks destabilizing a lifesaving system built on strict oversight and patient trust.

09/18/2026

𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀?

It’s an important question, and the answer is clear: 𝗢𝗣𝗢𝘀 𝗱𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵.

Death is determined by independent medical professionals using established medical criteria. This decision is made separately from and prior to the organ donation process.

Only after death has been declared do OPOs proceed with donation, working closely with donor families, hospitals, and transplant centers to honor the decision to donate and help ensure every donation opportunity has the potential to save lives.

Swipe through to learn more about who determines death, the safeguards in place, and the role OPOs play in the donation process. 💙💚

09/16/2026

Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to celebrate the rich histories, cultures, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities across the United States.

This year’s theme, “Unidos, Somos Más,” reminds us of the strength that comes from unity and collective action. Throughout the donation and transplantation community, we recognize the Hispanic and Latino donors and donor families whose generosity saves lives, the recipients and families whose experiences shape this work, and the professionals working every day to advance donation and transplantation.

AOPO is proud to join our partners at the Association for Multicultural Affairs in Transplantation in celebrating and continuing the work to advance trust, education, access, and equity across our communities. 💙💚