LAS VEGAS — For Tyre Gray, the gift of organ donation is not an abstract concept. Gray spent nearly five years on the organ transplant wait list before receiving a life-saving transplant.
"Five years of having my life paused. Five years of having to worry and wonder whether or not I was going to be here," Gray said. "For me, getting a transplant equaled freedom. I got to travel. I got to see the world, and I was able to have two beautiful children. It's been just a great gift for me. Literally life changing."
Today, Gray serves as Chief Administrative and Legal Officer for the Nevada Donor Network, working to extend that gift to others. The nonprofit recently opened a new, 6,000 square foot Donor Care Unit on Las Vegas' east side.
WATCH | Anyssa Bohanan takes a tour of the new, first-of-its kind donor facility in east Las Vegas
The organization says it is the first facility of its kind in Nevada, and one of just over a dozen nationwide. The facility includes fully functioning operating rooms and specialized equipment, including kidney pumps that allow organs to be preserved and transported across the country after recovery. The facility will also be used to train doctors, nurses, and other medical staff.
According to the Nevada Donor Network, more than 700 people in Nevada are currently on the organ transplant wait list. Nationally, that number tops 110,000. Gray says 15 people die each day in the United States while waiting for a life-saving transplant.
"What we know is one organ donor can save up to eight lives and can heal up to 75," he said. "That impact far exceeds just letting those organs go to waste. Being able to get the word out, being able to have facilities like this that will help us maximize that gift, we'll hopefully be able to eliminate that list."
Gray says the new facility is also working to keep Nevadans closer to home for care. Currently, Gray says, Nevadans waiting for organs other than kidneys must leave the state to receive transplant care. The new facility is designed to help change that.
"Our hope is that we are able to continue to improve upon the donation and transplantation infrastructure here in Nevada," he said. "If we can let ourselves be guided by new technologies, we can increase outcomes."
The Nevada Donor Network says it plans to perform its first organ donor outcome in the new facility by the end of the year. The organization also says the facility is expected to eventually expand to 30,000 square feet at the same Sahara Avenue location.
To learn more about organ donation or how to get involved with the Nevada Donor Network, visit their website here.
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