As of January 2010,
101,000 people are on the national waiting list for an organ and 18 people die a
day waiting for an organ. Over 83,000 people are awaiting a kidney transplant.
Learn the facts from DonateLife
There is a critical shortage of donor organs in the U.S., and the time spent
waiting for a lifesaving organ can be several years. There are, however, steps
you can take to help ease this shortage. Who knows... the life that you save may
be that of a loved one or friend!
Click on image below to download (pdf) and print handout about organ
donation
Myth 1
Fact:
If doctors in the hospital know I want to be a donor, they will not try
to save my life.
It is important to understand that the medical staff trying to save your
life is completely separate from the transplant team. Transplant surgeons are
called in for the donation process only after all efforts to save a life have
been made and death is either imminent or has occurred.
Myth 2
Fact:
Some people can recover from brain death.
No one can recover from brain death, but they can recover from some
comas. Brain death and coma are not the same. Brain death is final and
irreversible.
Myth 3
Fact:
Deciding who receives a donor organ discriminates by race. Therefore,
ethnic minorities should refuse to donate.
Organs are matched by such factors as blood and tissue typing. Potential
recipients are actually more likely to receive a suitable organ when
that organ is donated by someone of the same ethnicity or race.
Myth 4
Fact:
The rich and famous are given donated organs ahead of ordinary people.
Organ recipients are not selected based on fame or wealth. The national
computerized organ matching system matches donors and recipients only by
blood and tissue typing, organ size, medical urgency, length of time on
the waiting list, and geographic location.
Myth 5
Fact:
Senior citizens are too old to donate.
Organs and tissue can come from people of all ages, ranging from newborn
babies to seniors. The most important factor is physical condition, not
age.
Myth 6
Fact:
Families will be charged for donating a loved one's organs.
The donor's family or estate is not responsible for the donation costs.
Medicare and/or the recipient's insurance bear the cost.
Myth 7
Fact:
My body will be disfigured if I donate.
Any incisions made during the removal of organs and tissues are always
closed following the end of the procedure, so the body is not disfigured
and is ready for burial.
Myth 8
Fact:
Organs are often sold, giving the medical community enormous profits.
The buying and selling of organs is strictly
prohibited by federal law in the U.S. Any violators are punished by
heavy prison sentences and fines.
Myth 9
Fact:
My religion may prohibit organ donation.
Virtually all mainstream religions support organ and tissue donations
and view them as unselfish charitable acts. Those families who have
donated believe they have followed high moral and ethical standards and
have made a true Gift of Life.
Discussing Your Desire to Donate with Your Family
Even if you have signed an organ donor card, the decision on whether
to donate your organs or tissues after you die will be made by your family. So,
it is important that they know your wishes ahead of time.
Before you begin a discussion with your family, educate yourself about the
donation process, then tell your family you want to discuss a very important
issue. Choose a comfortable environment in which to discuss the topic, one with
as few distractions as possible so that each person can feel at ease as they
share intimate thoughts and feelings about donation.
Some family members may feel OK with discussing donation in a group setting,
while others may not. Talking one-on-one with each family member is an option.
Be sensitive to everyone's feelings and needs. Each family member should know
and take into consideration the views of the rest of the family.
Begin the discussion by honestly expressing your own feelings about donation.
Try not to judge the feelings and beliefs of other family members. Instead, try
stressing that transplantation is a successful procedure that has saved many
hundreds of thousands of lives during the past half-century. Success rates for
all transplants, particularly kidneys, continue to improve every year.
If you want to donate organs or tissue, make sure you:
Declare that you want to be a donor on your driver's license.
Sign up with your state's donor registry by
visiting
DonateLife.
Make sure you discuss your desire to donate
with your family. Most hospitals will not accept a donor's organs,
even if they have signed a donor card, unless the family gives final
consent.
Many families feel a spiritual sense of closure knowing that a part of their
deceased loved one is living on in someone else. Some families even get to know
and become lifelong friends with the recipient of their loved one's organ(s).
These families believe that donation is something to embrace and be thankful
for.
As of January 2010,
101,000 people are on the national waiting list for an organ and 18 people die a
day waiting for an organ. Over 83,000 people are awaiting a kidney transplant.
