TAMPA, FL - (July 29, 2015) - The LifeLink Transplantation Immunology Laboratory, located in Tampa, FL, has facilitated 10,000 organ transplants, one of the few such laboratories nationwide to reach that milestone.  Mayra Lopez-Cepero, Ph.D., director of the laboratory stated, “It’s a privilege to perform the work that we do on behalf of organ donors and potential transplant recipients.  I’m so pleased and proud of the staff that passionately pursues the LifeLink® mission and thankful to the organ donor who generously provided the gift of life.”

The immunology laboratory connects deceased and living donors with potential transplant recipients through clinical and scientific tests related to ABO blood grouping, infectious disease testing, tissue typing, transplant antibody detection and identification, cross matching and research on a 24-hour daily basis.  Florida transplant centers served by the laboratory include Tampa General Hospital,  All Children’s Hospital, Gulf Coast Medical Center in Ft. Myers, Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Weston, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in Hollywood, Memorial  Regional in Broward County and the soon to open transplant program at Largo Medical Center in Largo.

More than 1,000 patients and live donors are tested each year, along with approximately 300 deceased organ donors, resulting in more than one organ transplant a day within the 13 transplant programs served by the LifeLink Transplantation Immunology Laboratory.

The LifeLink Transplantation Immunology Laboratory is a division of LifeLink Foundation, Inc., the non-profit community service organization dedicated to the recovery of organs and tissue for transplantation.  The Foundation has four additional divisions including three organ procurement organizations and a tissue bank.

One organ donor has the potential to save eight lives. To learn more about organ and tissue donation visit www.LifeLinkFoundation.org. You can also register as an organ and tissue donor today online at  www.lifelinkfound.org/donatelife.