Organ Donations Needed
Organ donation is one of the most altruistic acts a person can perform. Organs from a single donor can affect the lives of as many as 50 people. There are 80 million registered organ donors in the United States with more signing up as people understand the importance of the organ donation process and that the need for organs is growing faster than the supply.
Living Donation
There are two types of organ donation: living donation and deceased donation. Living donations are from live donors and usually involve kidney transplants, since it is possible for a person to keep living with only one kidney. It is also possible to donate pieces of other organs such as the lungs, liver, pancreas and intestine.
To be a living organ donor, you must undergo medical testing to ensure that you are a match for the recipient. You need to be in good health, free from diseases and conditions such as diabetes, cancer and high blood pressure. Age is also a factor in living organ donations; most donors are between 18 and 60.
Donation After Death
A deceased organ donation is from a person who has recently died. These donors usually die in accidents or other unexpected events, such as a heart attack or brain aneurysm. In these cases, organ donation is only considered after all life-saving efforts have failed. A patient may die in the emergency room or may experience brain death. Once a patient is considered brain-dead, physicians work with his family and a organ donor coordinator to discuss the donation process and gain their consent. Although the patient may have been a registered organ donor, his family must still consent for the process to move forward.
After permission has been given, the hospital enters the donor's vital statistics, such as height, weight and blood type, into a national organ donation database. This information is then matched up with patients in the database who need transplants and who match the donor. Once a match has been made, the organs are harvested for transport to the recipient. This is usually done very soon after donor's death, although donation of some tissues such as corneas or skin can be delayed.
After the organs have been taken from the donor, the family proceeds with funeral arrangements as usual. A follow-up meeting with an organ donor coordinator may take place a few weeks after the process to tell them about the transplant recipients who were helped by the donation of their loved one's organs.
Becoming a Registered Donor
To become a registered organ donor, you must register with your state's donor registry. Most states have registries, but a few do not. Many states also make it possible to indicate that you are an organ donor on your driver's license or state ID card. An organ donation card is also available for download from www.organdonor.gov; you fill it out and carry it with your driver's license. Finally, if you wish to donate your organs, you should make your desire clear to your next of kin to make sure your wishes are carried out.
Tags: organ donor, organ donation, registered organ, donation process, donor coordinator, donor family