TULSA, Okla. — A new documentary is designed to raise awareness about kidney transplants, as many people sit on the transplant wait list.
Ascension St. John Medical Center hopes the story of one couple's journey in "Confessions of a Good Samaritan" will encourage more people to donate a kidney.
WATCH: One couple talked to 2 News about their transplant journey.
Haley Lewis, who leads the kidney transplant center at Ascension St. John, told 2 News the average wait time there is 22 months. That's far from the norm, however.
People nationwide wait three to five years on average, but that can be a long as seven years in major metropolitan areas.
Unfortunately, about 17 people die each day across the country while waiting for a transplant, according to Lewis. She said this wait can take a serious emotional toll on patients and their families.
"They can get really discouraged," said Lewis. "We can start the work up on a patient, they are all excited and motivated to get things going, and we can get that done really quickly. And then, the patient gets on the list and they wait, they're expecting to hear things and — you know — sometimes years go by without getting that call for the transplant."
But, why can the wait be so long? There's a whole range of factors. Quite simply, however, Lewis said the demand is greater than the supply.
While there are many reasons some people choose not to donate — such as religion or culture, which Lewis said she understands — she noted there are misconceptions surrounding organ procurement organizations.
"Some people might feel like, 'Oh they're not gonna — you know — they're not gonna take care of me in the hospital the same way that they would if I say I'm an organ donor,' which is, of course, completely untrue," she explained.
"Our hospital takes great care to take care of the patients," Lewis continued, "and the organ procurement organization only steps in with the patients consent or the family's consent to donate."
While Ascension St. John has 213 people on its waitlist for kidneys, more than 580 people are waiting across Oklahoma. Nationwide, it's over 88,000.
"I think we did around 27,000 [transplants] last year is in the U.S.," said Lewis. "So, [we] got some strides to go, there."
Despite the issues kidney transplant systems face, there is reason for optimism.
Half of all the transplants ever performed in the United States have happened in just the past 15 years, per Lewis, with the nation hitting one million transplants in 2022. There are over 400,000 people with a functioning transplant alive today.
Although everyone is born with two kidneys, they only need one. Lewis emphasized a donation can make all the difference.
Circle Cinema is hosting a private screening of the film Wednesday night. A free, public showing is set for Thursday at 7pm.
For more information on the kidney waitlist, click here.
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