More than 110,000 Americans are currently waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant. Zoom out and you’ll find half million people on this planet today in need of an organ to survive. UNOS reported in 2025 that approximately 13 Americans on that waiting list lose their lives every day.

Of all the organs needed, kidneys are in highest demand (85%). Kidney patients stay on the list for an average of four long years waiting for a lifesaving transplant, or confronting the possibility that it may not come in time.

The 95,000 people waiting for a kidney are only the visible tip of a vastly larger kidney disease problem. By the time someone needs a kidney transplant, they have progressed to end stage kidney disease (ESKD).

USRDS announced in 2022 that nearly 9 out of 10 Americans who are on dialysis (ESKD) are not even listed for organ transplant. That’s an estimated half a million Americans on kidney dialysis today.

There are several reasons an ESKD patient may not be listed on the organ transplant waiting list: their own medical complications; logistical and financial barriers; age & frailty; personal choice; and others.

In support of research for the evolution of allogeneic transplants, the MDFF is currently collaborating with the brightest minds at the University of Maryland (BioEngineering & Science). UMD is exceptionally well-equipped to drive breakthroughs and lead the way forward to a future where no one waits for an organ.

At first take, we assumed the way to ensure “no one waits for an organ” was to encourage more living donors. While living donor organs have higher success rates, over 95% of transplants in 2022 came from deceased donors. Additionally, significantly increasing living donations would mean shifting cultural norms and personal expectations—no small challenge.

In 2024, the Mickey Dale Family Foundation (MDFF) supported research by the UMD School of Public Health to gain a greater understanding of organ donation and transplantation across the globe.

We didn’t need to look far for direction. Researchers at the UMD School of Medicine and the UMD Fischell Department of Bioengineering had been working in the field for years, including advancements to:

• ~ Increase the number and viability of deceased donor kidneys
• ~ Improve organ transport
• ~ Advance xenotransplantation
• ~ Develop a 2-Chamber Kidney Bioreactor
• ~ Regenerate and grow organs (3D printing + stem cell therapies)
• ~ Advance immunosuppressive treatments

Our mission to eliminate the organ waiting list aligns well with UMD’s exciting 2025 initiative to bridge Bioengineering and Medicine. With the generous support of the Development Directors from the School of Public Health, the Fischell School of BioEngineering, and the School of Medicine, the Foundation had the opportunity to engage with leading experts in organ transplantation, including Dr. Fisher (BIOE), Dr. Griffith (UMSOM), Dr. Meier (UMSOM), and Dr. Niederhaus (UMSOM). Their experience and insights continue to help shape our vision and better inform our strategy for success.

As our understanding of organ transplantation has grown, so has our awareness of the barriers. When the renowned presenters at the first MDFF symposium shared how the proverbial sausage is being made, our eyes were opened to both the possibilities and the barriers to achieving our goal. We are grateful for the education in both.

• –> There is no doubt that waiting for an organ will end. Wasting precious days on dialysis will one day be viewed the way amputation without anesthesia is viewed today
• –> Excellent solutions are well underway. Scientific discoveries and medical advances are accelerating at a breathtaking speed.
• –> When it comes to kidneys, xenotransplantation and biogenic organs will be viable options for transplant

While supporting these groundbreaking advances, MDFF is also exploring opportunities to make a more immediate impact on the lives of patients currently waiting for an organ transplant.

Read more about our strategy in Progress Notes.