Donor Network West and Humboldt General Hospital Launch the First Birth Tissue Donation Program in Rural Nevada
Parents who choose to donate birth tissue after childbirth have the power to provide healing to patients in need and to help further scientific research.
WINNEMUCCA, Nev. (April 28, 2025) — Donor Network West and Humboldt General Hospital are pleased to announce the first birth tissue donation program in rural Nevada, allowing parents to donate the placenta and umbilical cord following childbirth. These tissues, which are typically discarded after delivery, can instead be donated for transplantation, research and education.
As the only federally-designated organ procurement organization serving northern Nevada, Donor Network West is partnering with Humboldt General Hospital in Winnemucca, Nevada to offer the birth tissue donation program to expecting parents. Birth through either c-section or vaginal delivery methods are eligible. Birth tissue donation is a type of living donation and poses no risk to the parent’s or baby’s health.
“We genuinely appreciate our healthcare partners at Humboldt General, in allowing us to offer this option to parents for donation that can heal and save others’ lives,” said Matt Graves, vice president, donor operations for northern Nevada at Donor Network West. “The birth tissue donation program at Donor Network West offers a powerful way to give more people a chance to live with less pain, and fewer health issues. We’re grateful to extend the generosity shown by parents who choose to donate their birth tissue and help those in need of life-altering treatments.”
Tissue donation is often used for healing treatments and helps to end unnecessary suffering––and the need is significant. One in 20 Americans require some type of tissue transplant each year due to injuries, disease or surgical reconstruction. Donated birth tissue can be used to heal patients in several ways, including in the treatment of painful wounds and burns, reconstructive surgeries and spinal procedures to alleviate pain from scar tissue.
One donor can have a significant impact. A single placenta can create up to 100 tissue grafts for patients in need. Birth tissue donation also supports the development of new treatments and scientific research.
“This program is a meaningful way for our families to start their child’s life with a powerful act of generosity,” Sheri Garland, Inpatient Nursing Director at Humboldt General Hospital. “We’re honored to help parents turn birth into a gift that can heal others.”
Working with its hospital partners, Donor Network West provides education for expecting parents on birth tissue donation. Its donation team works with parents who have opted in to participate in the program throughout the process including answering questions and helping to complete paperwork. Birth tissue donation occurs after the baby is delivered, with no impact to the parents’ birth plan. Donor Network West coordinates the packaging and transportation of the donated tissue, which otherwise would be disposed of.
Donor Network West also partners with Carson Tahoe Health in Carson City, Nevada to offer the option of birth tissue donation to their patients as well.
To learn more about birth tissue donation, visit DonorNetworkWest.org.