New Mexico Donor Services Celebrates Milestone Lifesaving Year

New Mexico Donor Services honored the extraordinary generosity of New Mexico donor heroes whose gifts made 275 lifesaving organ transplants possible in 2025, saving and improving the most lives in the organization’s history across the state and beyond. In 2025, New Mexico Donor Services reached a historic milestone as 135 organ donor heroes, the most ever recovered by NMDS, said yes to donation, giving hope to patients waiting for a second chance at life. In addition, NMDS facilitated 494 tissue donations and provided support to 850 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 NMDS team members, and the commitment of community partners who raise awareness and encourage New Mexico residents to register as donors.

“This incredible achievement is a testament to the compassion of donor families and the dedication of our hospital partners and staff,” says Sean Van Slyck, Chief Executive Officer of New Mexico Donor Services. “I am deeply grateful to the people of New Mexico who chose to register as organ donors and, in doing so, gave the extraordinary gift of life, resulting in an unprecedented number of lives saved in our communities. They are the true heroes among us. Our work would not be possible without their generosity and selflessness. We will continue our lifesaving mission in 2026.”

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 – over 400 are in New Mexico.

New Mexico Donor Services encourages everyone to register as an organ, eye and tissue donor at registerme.org.