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Organ Donations from People Who Die After Their Heart Stops Beating
Organ transplant Source: NYU Langone Health — article by NYU Langone Health News staff, published February 26, 2026.
A new study led by researchers at NYU Langone Health reports that organ donation after circulatory death (DCD)—when donation occurs after the heart stops beating—has shifted from uncommon to routine in the United States over the past 25 years. According to the analysis, DCD donors grew from just 2% of deceased donors in 2000 to 49% in 2025, dramatically expanding the donor pool and helping address the more than 100,000 Americans awaiting transplants.
Historically, most organs came from brain-dead donors whose hearts continued pumping oxygenated blood. DCD donors, by contrast, die after life support is withdrawn, which once raised concerns about organ viability. Advances such as normothermic regional perfusion and machine perfusion now restore circulation or oxygenation to organs, improving transplant success and enabling recovery of kidneys, livers, lungs, hearts, and pancreases.
The researchers also found modern DCD donors tend to be older and more likely to have conditions such as obesity, diabetes, or hypertension—individuals previously excluded from donation. Regional variation remains wide, suggesting further growth potential.
Authors emphasize that consistent standards, public education, and transparent communication with families are essential to maintain trust as DCD expands. The findings were published February 26, 2026, in the Journal of the American Medical Association and funded by the National Institutes of Health.
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The first child in the United Kingdom born to a mother who received a womb transplant from a deceased donor
Newborn baby from a womb transplant of a deceased donor https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/feb/24/baby-boy-uk-mother-womb-transplant-dead-donor
Source: The Guardian — article by Robyn Vinter and agency, published 24 February 2026.
Article summary:
A baby boy named Hugo has become the first child in the United Kingdom born to a mother who received a womb transplant from a deceased donor, marking a significant medical milestone in reproductive and transplant medicine. Hugo Powell was delivered at Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital in London, weighing 3.09kg (6lb 13oz). His mother, Grace Bell, had previously been unable to carry a pregnancy due to Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome — a rare congenital condition in which the womb is missing or underdeveloped.
Bell, an IT programme manager, had been told during her teenage years that she would never be able to carry a child. After receiving the transplant in 2024 and undergoing fertility treatment months later, she gave birth in December. She described the experience as a “miracle” and said she feels “the happiest I’ve ever been in my life.” She also expressed deep gratitude to the donor and the donor’s family, acknowledging that their generosity made motherhood possible.
The donor’s organs saved multiple lives: five organs were transplanted into four recipients. The donor’s parents stated that while their loss was devastating, organ donation created a legacy of compassion and hope by helping others — including giving life through Hugo’s birth.
The baby’s middle name, Richard, honors Professor Richard Smith, clinical lead at the charity Womb Transplant UK and a consultant gynaecological surgeon at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, who was present at the birth and has worked for years toward achieving this outcome.
This is the UK’s first birth involving a uterus from a deceased donor, with only two prior comparable cases in Europe. Globally, approximately 25–30 babies have been born through deceased donor womb transplants. Most womb transplants still involve living donors.
Bell’s transplanted womb will eventually be removed once she finishes having children to avoid lifelong use of immunosuppressant medication. The article also notes that womb donation requires specific family consent and is not currently included in standard organ donor registration consent processes.
The case represents a major advancement in fertility treatment options for women with uterine infertility and highlights the broader impact of organ donation beyond life-saving procedures — extending to the creation of life itself.
Credit: Robyn Vinter and agency, The Guardian (24 February 2026).
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Donate.com Stands with Minnesota
Per Stand With Minnesota from their website:
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Donated turkey meals in Lafayette Louisiana
Thanksgiving at St. Joseph Diner in Lafayette, La.
The diner serves free breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week, and it will serve Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday.
Also Thanksgiving at home 
Another turkey