U.S. officials will review the nation 's lung transplant policy for children , but any change could take up to two years , not enough time to save the life of a 10-year-old Pennsylvania girl who 's already been waiting 18 months for new lungs . United Network for Organ Sharing , a nonprofit that manages the nation 's transplant system under federal contract , agreed to the review Friday , the same day that an urgent request was made by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius , UNOS spokeswoman Anne Paschke said . But because the review process involves research and public comment and because there 's not enough organ donations for children , the nation 's transplant system wo n't likely be able to save the life of Sarah Murnaghan , who could die within weeks without a transplant of lungs . When pressed on this emerging reality , Paschke stated : `` I do n't have anything additional to add . '' Paschke urged more Americans to look at an organ donation website . Paschke added in a subsequent e-mail to CNN : `` With 18 people dying on the wait list every day in this country , the only way to save more lives is with more donors , '' she said . `` Just one organ donor can save the lives of up to 8 people . '' Sebelius asked for a review of the nation 's transplant system Friday . `` I ask that you pay particular attention to the age categories currently used in lung allocation , and review the policy with the intent of identifying any potential improvements to this policy that would make more transplants available to children , '' Sebelius said in a letter to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network . Sarah 's struggle has ignited a fight for new rules governing organ donations . She 's been in a Philadelphia hospital for months due to cystic fibrosis that she 's had since birth . Tens of thousands of people have signed a petition on Change.org , and a congressman has called on the Obama administration to take quick action . The girl is eligible for a lung from another child but is n't prioritized for a lung from an adult , under federal rules . With just weeks left , Sarah fights the system for life-saving pair of lungs . Sibelius asked for the review of the federal policy in a letter to Dr. John Roberts , board president of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network . Sibelius cited the significant disparity in the number of transplantable organs to the number of people in need of an organ , especially among pediatric patients . She also directed the Health Resources and Services Administration Division of Transplantation to consider new approaches for promoting pediatric and adolescent organ donation . `` With 1,819 pediatric patients on organ transplant waitlists and only 852 pediatric organ transplant donors each year , it is especially clear that we can and should , if possible , do more to encourage the public to become registered organ donors , '' Sibelius wrote . Sarah is at the top of the list for any pediatric lungs that may become available for transplant in her region . She 's been waiting for 18 months . None have come along . But doctors say modified adult lungs could help save her -- and adult lungs become available much more often . That 's where the rules becomes a problem . Children under age 12 are n't prioritized for adult organs . So Sarah could only get available adult lungs if everyone else waiting for lungs in her region -- no matter how sick they are -- turns them down . Sarah 's mother , Janet Murnaghan , told CNN she was `` shocked '' when she learned the rules a couple of weeks ago . Organ donation by the numbers .
Transplant policy change could take 2 years ; girl needs lung transplant within weeks . Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius seeks review of lung transplant policy for children . Children are n't prioritized for adult lungs . Meanwhile , a 10-year-old Pennsylvania girl in need of a lung fights for her life .