Our Mission Statement:
Our commitment is to enhance and save lives through organ, eye, tissue and blood donation while maintaining respect for those who give the Gift of Life.

Description:
Upstate New York Transplant Services, Inc. (UNYTS) is a non-profit organization authorized by the federal government to accept anatomical gifts for transplantation and/or medical research. The agency was established in December 1981 through the combined efforts of area transplant hospitals and the medical school of the State University of New York at Buffalo. In November 1993 UNYTS merged with the Buffalo Eye Bank and Research Society.

UNYTS coordinates the donation process in the eight counties of Western New York by: talking with families to inform them of their donation options; coordinating the organ and tissue recovery process with hospitals and funeral homes; allocating organs and tissues for transplant; and providing follow-up information to donor families.

UNYTS is operated under the direction of a community board of directors. Members of the board represent physicians, business and religious leaders, transplant recipients, and hospital administrators. The operating funds for the organization come from acquisition fees charged to hospitals that perform transplants.

History:
The Gift of Life comes in many different ways through many different stories, personalities, lives and backgrounds. For over twenty five years, Upstate New York Transplant Services has been offering the region the opportunity to save and enhance life through organ, tissue and eye donation, and Western New Yorkers have shown great generosity when given the choice. Now it is time to make a natural expansion of service – one to include blood donation.

This organization is committed to continuing to do more for those individuals in need of and waiting for The Gift of Life. Just as The Gift of Life can take the form of an organ, vital tissue, or a cornea – it can also take the form of donated blood.

Our commitment to enhance and save lives through organ, tissue and eye donation has resonated and expanded throughout the community and we are poised to extend this same commitment through blood donation.

Western New York knows the importance of spreading The Gift of Life and community blood services is the next step this organization is making in furthering that effort.

Contact person: Lisa A. Nestico, Volunteer Coordinator, (phone), (email)

Address:

110 Broadway Buffalo, NY 14203 (See a map)