Devin Addington was in the hospital for 70 days, patiently waiting for a chance to resume his normal life.
That opportunity came on Feb. 14 by way of a new heart.
Addington, 21, of Swartz Creek, received one of the 1,206 donor organs transplanted in Michigan last year. He’ll never meet the person who saved his life, but he’s grateful to have more time.
“If you can register, please do it,” he said. “It saves lives.”
Addington was born with a rare, metabolic disorder known as Barth syndrome, which causes serious heart problems. He had his first heart transplant at 9 weeks old, and last year was his second time on the national organ transplant wait list.
At any time, there are more than 100,000 people waiting for an organ nationwide, including more than 2,700 in Michigan. Even then, the list underrepresents of the true need, according to Dorrie Dils, president and CEO of Gift of Life Michigan.
Dils called 2025 an incredible year for organ donation in Michigan. There were more than 186,000 new donor registrations, 478 people donated their organs, and another 1,796 people gave tissue.
Residents have recently gotten additional means to register to be an organ and tissue donor, including when they file their taxes. Corewell Health had 2,300 patients sign up to be donors since October, thanks to a new tool added to their online patient portal known as MyChart.
“It was another example year of how, when given the opportunity, people step up to say, yes, to donation and save or enhance someone’s life,” she said. “Michiganders are generous people.”
Gift of Life Michigan reported a record 1,416 placenta donations last year. Since 2019, a pair of Trinity Health hospitals in Ann Arbor and Livonia have secured placenta donations to be used for skin grafts to address wounds that won’t heal, like diabetic ulcers.
The program also donates placentas for research. Dils said it’s a relatively new program, slowed during the COVID-19 pandemic. She expects to see its uses expand in the coming years.
“The record number of placenta donations in 2025 reflects the compassion of families who chose to turn a moment of new life into healing for others,” Dils said.
Gift of Life Michigan likes to share its data at end of year, while also noting every number is a person who received a second chance or an improved life because of someone else’s generosity.
Addington exemplifies that notion.
Since getting his new heart, he’s back to working at his local coffee shop. He has moved back out of his parents’ home and is back to traveling, working out and cheering on his favorite sports teams — all with few limitations.
When given the chance, he likes to share his story and encourage people to register as an organ donor when they die.
There are several options to register, including through Gift of Life Michigan, at your local Secretary of State office, and when you file your taxes. For more information, visit michigan.gov/sos.
