Have you guys ever seen that bumper sticker?
I love seeing that bumper sticker on the back of cars because I know that the people driving the car have been affected by organ transplantation, as I have. I recently learned that April is Donate Life Month. Every day in April, people across the U.S. make a special effort to celebrate the tremendous generosity of those who have saved lives by becoming organ, tissue, marrow, and blood donors and to encourage more Americans to follow their fine example. I wanted to take a moment to salute my mother for donating life to me. She is an amazing woman. She gave life to me twice, once as an infant and again on February 13, 2003 when she donated her kidney to me. In honor of Donate Life Month, I'm going to post some practical things you can do to promote organ donation!
Make it known: I want to be a donor
Register with your State Donor Registry, if available.
Say YES to donation on your driver's license.
Tell your family, friends, physician, and faith leader that you want to be a donor.
Fill out and sign a donor card, have it witnessed, carry it with you.
Tell someone: The need is great and growing.
More than 98,000 people are in need of an organ for transplant.
Each day, about 77 people get the organ transplant that gives them a second chance, but 17 to 19 others die because they did not receive an organ transplant.
More than half the people on the waiting list for a donated organ are racial or ethnic minorities. Chances of getting a transplant increase if donor and recipient share the same racial/ethnic background.
Thank you guys for reading about these very USEFUL facts about organ donation. For more information visit organdonor.gov
5 comments:
Carrr-
I am not gonna lie, I am pretty conflicted by this issue. If my life is ending and my organs can be passed on, I would like them to take every usable part (I want what is left to be cremated.)
What brings me pause is this. I have heard that if seriously injured they make it known that you have selected to be a donor. I do not want doctors making choices about me living vs donating. I want the 100% effort to save me with the final decision of donating to be left to Lindsey, and/or family.
I do want to be a donor and have made this known to people but have chosen no to elect it on my drivers lic. Is my thinking wrong?
Good post! -jason
Hey Jason,
this is a great comment. I think I'll do a post on "myths" of organ donation. I found this on the transweb website:
Myth #3
"If I'm in an accident and the hospital knows I want to be a donor, the doctors won't try to save my life!"
Reality
The medical team treating you is separate from the transplant team.
The organ procurement organization (OPO) is not notified until all lifesaving efforts have failed and death has been determined. The OPO does not notify the transplant team until your family has consented to donation.
Thanks for responding!
We have a classmate from high school that just passed away this week while waiting for a heart/double lung transplant...she was just 2 years older than us.
I have called the organ donation place so many times following a patient death, and never have I had a patient eligible physically to be a donor. It really makes me more appreciative of young people (like your mom) who are willing to give, because of the SO MANY who aren't able to and would like to.
Just really sad.
Great post, thanks for calling attention to the issue. To "The Canadas"...that's actually one of the biggest myths out there and I'd like to call attention to a series of posts we're doing this week to address just that:
http://iam-areyou.blogspot.com/2008/04/debunking-organ-donation-myths-get.html
Please check it out, it's absolutely false as transplant teams and doctors are two totally separate entities. A transplant team is not called into action until you are passed away. Please don't let bogus myths like this keep you from helping save lives!
Great post, Carr! I'm willing to give whatever they'll take. I even have it in my Living Will. I wish the blood banks would take my blood. I wish there was a test they could/would do on people's blood who have lived in Third World countries to see if the blood is clean and usable because I actually enjoy giving blood, but they will not take mine. I have to stay in the U.S. for 3 years without going back over to give blood again. It makes me sad. I understand to a degree, but still...
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