Lithuanian Air Force helicopter delivers donor organ to Vilnius

A Lithuanian Air Force helicopter successfully transported a vital donor organ to Vilnius on Tuesday afternoon, facilitating a life-saving transplant. The MI-8T helicopter landed at the helipad of Vilnius University Hospital's Santaros Clinics, carrying the organ from a donor hospital in central Lithuania.

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This invaluable gift of life will pave a new bridge to life through transplantation for a seriously ill patient.

The mission, crucial for a critically ill patient awaiting the transplant, involved a medical team and the precious organ. The helicopter departed from the 2nd Search and Rescue Post in Kaunas around noon and returned to its base shortly after 1 p.m. following the successful delivery.

Transporting donor organs is one of the Lithuanian Armed Forces' peacetime duties. The Air Force collaborates with the National Transplant Bureau under a cooperation agreement to ensure these time-sensitive deliveries are made safely and efficiently. Every minute counts in organ transplantation, as organs remain viable for a limited period before they must be transplanted into recipients.

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We express silent, sincere condolences to the Donor's relatives and say thank you for saying YES to organ donation.

The National Transplant Bureau expressed gratitude to the donor's family for their "YES" to organ donation, which offers a chance at recovery for four critically ill patients who will undergo transplants this week. Currently, 309 patients are awaiting transplants in Lithuania, including those needing kidney, heart, lung, liver, and pancreas-kidney complex transplants, as well as tissue and cell transplants.

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This YES spoken by relatives gives a chance to recover to four seriously ill patients – four organ transplants will be performed this night.