Did you know that a single organ and tissue donor can save or enhance the lives of up to 50 other people?
What organs and tissues are donated?
Major organ donations include the heart and lungs, kidneys, liver, pancreas and intestines. But beyond that tissues are needed to assist with life preserving skin grafts for burn patients. Bone, tendons, and ligaments are needed to replace tissues lost to trauma, cancer, or other diseases. Corneal transplants can restore sight, and heart valves can repair damaged hearts.
Donated organs and tissues are distributed by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) on the basis of patient need, availability and other medical criteria such as blood type, body size and tissue matching. It is illegal to allow organ distribution to be influenced by factors of wealth, or celebrity status.
How many lives are saved?
Each year more than 25,000 organ transplants are made possible by 6,000 deceased donors. Live donors account for another 7,000 transplants, including kidneys, and partial liver, lung and pancreas donors. Meanwhile 65,000 tissue and cornea donors provide more than 900,000 tissue and corneal transplants annually. Still about 17 people die each day before the organs they need become available.
What about you?
If you were to die today, would you want your organs to save someone else's life? Perhaps you think your organs are too damaged by age and disease process. Some tissues may be too damaged, but others may not. Trained professionals can make that determination after care-givers have done all they can to keep you alive and make you comfortable. Being an organ or tissue donor will never compromise the life-saving efforts that are made on your behalf.
If it is your desire to donate your tissues and organs, consent for donation will be confirmed by your family after your death. If they consent, your body may be preserved by mechanical support until the organs can be surgically removed. This surgery will be performed by specially trained teams of surgeons, who will treat your body with the same care and respect that they would provide during any other surgical procedure. This will not delay your funeral, and an open casket will still be possible if that is your desire.
A Second Chance
Organ and tissue transplants truly provide a second chance at a healthy life for those who receive them. Transplantation is an amazing regeneration for thousands of people each year. It is unfortunate that the need is so much greater than the number of organs which are actually donated.
You can make the difference for a big group of people! Not just one or two people could be helped by your willingness to donate, but up to 50 individuals! What is needed is your decision. If you were to die today, would you want someone else to live, through the donation of your organs and tissues? If your answer is yes make your family aware of your desire to donate, and go here for more information and a donor card you can carry with you.
Miracles
Your eyes could make a blind man see. Your bones might make a teenager walk again. Your skin could cover a baby's back. Or maybe your heart could give a family their mother back again! It's a very important decision for you and for them, so please take some time today to think it over, and talk it over, so you'll be ready.
