One hundred transplant patients gather in Orocovis: a guide to registering as an organ donor in Puerto Rico

Nearly 100 transplant recipients, living donors, family members and patients still waiting for an organ traveled on Saturday, August 29, to the Municipal Reception Center in Orocovis for the Sixth Meeting of the Support Group of Hospital Auxilio Mutuo's Transplant Center, a day of education and testimonials that spotlighted a subject rarely discussed on the island: how organ transplantation works in Puerto Rico and what each person can do to become a donor ¹².

Participants came from Cayey, Cidra, San Lorenzo, Bayamón and even Vieques, home of Antonio Sherman, a liver transplant recipient ¹. The Fundación Puertorriqueña del Riñón provided a bus that carried some 40 patients and relatives from the metro area ¹². Orocovis Mayor Jesús E. "Gardy" Colón Berlingeri welcomed the group to his town ¹.

The gathering was no improvisation. The support group's own patients chose the topics, activities and resources, and even took on roles during the event, with transplant recipient Luis Martínez serving as moderator ². "This meeting gives our patients the opportunity to learn and to share with people who have lived through similar experiences," said Dr. Nilka de Jesús González, medical director of the Auxilio Mutuo Transplant Center ¹².

The numbers behind the event explain why it matters. The Auxilio Mutuo Transplant Center in San Juan has offered continuous services for more than 40 years and has performed roughly 3,000 kidney transplants, some 600 liver transplants and more than 200 pancreas transplants, with a multidisciplinary team that accompanies patients through evaluation, waiting, surgery and follow-up ¹⁴. Among the speakers was Dr. Giancarlo Cancel, a clinical psychologist and himself a kidney transplant recipient, who tackled a taboo topic: barely 3.8% of patients consult their doctor about sexuality after a transplant ¹. Nutritionist Sandra Nevárez Miranda of the center offered guidance on diet and physical activity ¹².

Also participating were LifeLink de Puerto Rico, Fundación Mariposas Renales, the Consejo Renal de Puerto Rico and DeLiver, organizations that provide direct support to kidney and liver patients on the island ². LifeLink de Puerto Rico is the federally designated organ and tissue recovery organization for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and it administers the official donor registry, Done Vida Puerto Rico ³.

What it means for you

If you or a relative suffers from advanced kidney or liver disease, this kind of support group exists and is free: it brings together people who have already been through the process with those just starting evaluation or the wait ¹². Hearing firsthand what recovery is like, what you eat after a transplant and how to handle the emotional side can clear up doubts that a 15-minute medical appointment cannot ².

And if you are healthy, the message is just as direct: in Puerto Rico there are patients waiting for a kidney, a liver or a pancreas, and every person who registers as a donor improves the odds that the wait ends well ¹³. Registering takes minutes and costs nothing ³.

How to do it / Checklist

1. Register as an organ and tissue donor at donevidapuertorico.org, the official registry administered by LifeLink de Puerto Rico ³.
2. If you prefer the phone, call toll-free at 1-800-558-0977 ³.
3. You can also authorize donation when renewing your driver's license at CESCO; ask for the donor designation to appear on it ³.
4. Talk to your family about your decision: at the critical moment they will be consulted, and knowing your wishes makes the process easier ³.
5. If you are a kidney, liver or pancreas patient and want to join the support group, call the Hospital Auxilio Mutuo Transplant Center at 787-771-7575, extension 9021 ²⁴.
6. Ask about living-donation orientation sessions: living donors attended the meeting and shared their experience ¹.

What's next

The Auxilio Mutuo support group is now in its sixth edition, and the formula of bringing the gathering to mountain towns — transportation from San Juan included — looks set to be repeated ². Participating organizations such as Fundación Mariposas Renales and the Consejo Renal hold educational activities year-round ². CoquiList will be watching for the group's next call and for updated transplant and waiting-list statistics for the island; if you are a patient or family member, save the numbers in this article, because the best medicine against the wait is information ¹²³.

Sources

1. Metro Puerto Rico — Nearly 100 transplant patients gather in Orocovis (August 29, 2026)
2. Medicina y Salud Pública — Transplant patients organize mountain gathering (August 18, 2026)
3. Done Vida Puerto Rico / LifeLink de Puerto Rico — donatelifepuertorico.org
4. Hospital Auxilio Mutuo — Transplant Center