Friends of the National Liver Waiting List

YourLife • Your Choice

A free public information service for liver patients and caregivers.

If you or someone you care for is living with serious liver disease, this page exists for one reason only: to make sure you know you have options.

Choose how you want to receive information

Get the options menu — Copy keyword: LIVERHELP

Tip: text the keyword to start the double opt-in. We send up to 2 msgs/week. Reply STOP to opt out.

Why you’re seeing this

This is information many patients and caregivers say they were never clearly given. Liver transplant programs operate differently.

Some transplant programs most often perform liver transplants for patients with higher MELD scores. Patients with lower MELD scores may remain on the waiting list for long or undefined periods, even while experiencing serious, life-limiting symptoms.

National UNOS/OPTN reporting and related federal resources publish statistics about the waiting list and outcomes, including daily deaths while waiting across organs. See sources below.

Other centers

There are other transplant centers with different practices.

Example: Intermountain Health (Salt Lake City, Utah)

• Intermountain’s news release has described a median wait time after listing of 22 days.
• Advanced preservation systems (e.g., OrganOx metra) are described in FDA documentation as intended for perfusion of donor livers for up to 24 hours.

Other centers with different wait times and criteria include (examples):

• Mayo Clinic – Scottsdale, Arizona
• Additional UNOS/OPTN-approved transplant programs nationwide

Staying vs exploring

You are not required to stay at one transplant center. You do not lose your place by asking questions. You do not need permission to explore options. Seeking information does not mean you are giving up on your current care team.

It means you are advocating for your life.

What we provide

This service can send practical, plain-language help:

• A plain-language list of transplant centers with shorter wait times
• A simple checklist for requesting a second evaluation
• Patient and caregiver rights under UNOS/Medicare (informational)
• Non-medical navigation help (documents, questions, next steps)

We do not:

• Give medical advice
• Recommend one center over another
• Pressure anyone to leave their current care team

If you would like information

Text LIVERHELP to subscribe (double opt-in). Then choose a menu item.

Menu (reply after you opt in)

• 1 — Transplant center options
• 2 — Step-by-step checklist
• 3 — Patient rights & documentation
• 4 — Caregiver support

Opt-in only • Up to 2 msgs/week • Msg & data rates may apply • Reply STOP to opt out.