As of January 2006, almost 65,000 people in the
U.S.--including 800 children under 18 years of age--were awaiting a kidney
transplant. Based on data from prior years, only about 16,000 of them will
receive their new kidney before year’s end. About 6,000 of those kidneys will
come from living donors.
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!
Little-Known Facts Did you know?... Every one of us can save up to eight lives by
donating our organs, as well as enhance the lives of up to 50 others through
tissue donation.
Did you know?... Hospitals are required to notify an organ & tissue recovery
agency about all deaths that occur in a hospital. These agencies work with the
hospitals to offer families the chance to donate the organs and tissues of their
loved one. Before donation can take place, however, the recovery agency asks
permission from the family or next of kin, even if the person who died wanted to
donate his/her organs and signed a donor card! This is why it is so important to
let family members know about your donation wishes so that they will follow your
wishes at the time of your death.
Did you know?... Signing an organ donor card and placing a pink "donor dot" on
your driver's license does not record your wishes on an official list or donor
registry. Despite popular belief, the Department of Motor Vehicles does not
maintain a donor database. Therefore, giving consent for donation falls solely
on the donor's family, who may not be aware of the wishes of their loved one.
Did you know?... There is a national Organ Procurement and Transplantation
Network (OPTN) that lists all patients waiting for a transplant and allocates
donated organs. It is operated by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) in
Richmond, VA, under contract with the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services. UNOS makes every effort to ensure that there is a fair allocation of
donated organs and tissues, and their policies are continuously revised to
reflect any changes in the scientific and medical basis of transplantation.
Potential recipients are selected based on such factors as blood and tissue
type, medical need, length of time on the waiting list, and the size and weight
of the donor and potential recipients.
Did you know?... In recent years, more and more living donors have offered their
organs (or parts of their organs) for transplant. The most common organ offered
by living donors is the kidney. Living donors are usually blood relatives, a
significant other, or close friend of the recipient. But an increasing number of
non-related living donations are occurring. Even complete strangers are offering
to donate organs to anyone who may need them, something that was virtually
unheard of only a decade ago.
Did you know?... The need for donor kidneys is higher among minority populations
such as African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, Pacific Islanders, and Native
Americans. This is because certain diseases that lead to kidney failure
(diabetes, high blood pressure) are more common among these people than in the
general population. The odds of obtaining a suitable kidney for transplant are
higher when both the donor and potential recipient are of the same ethnic
background.
Did you know?...
• African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and Pacific Islanders are three times
more likely than Caucasians to develop kidney disease.
• Native Americans are four times more likely than Caucasians to suffer from
diabetes, the leading cause of kidney failure.
• African Americans are more likely to develop hypertension (high blood
pressure), the second leading cause of kidney disease.
• While African Americans account for only 13% of the U.S. population, they
comprise more than one-third (35%) of the kidney transplant waiting list.
Did you know?... The first successful organ transplant was performed in 1954 at
Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston. The donor of the organ--a kidney--was the
recipient’s twin brother.
Myths and Facts About Organ Donation Myth 1: If doctors in the hospital know I want to be a donor, they
will not try to save my life.
Fact: 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: Some people can recover from brain death.
Fact: 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: Deciding who receives a donor organ discriminates by race. Therefore,
ethnic minorities should refuse to donate.
Fact: 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: The rich and famous are given donated organs ahead of ordinary people.
Fact: 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: Senior citizens are too old to donate.
Fact: 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: Families will be charged for donating a loved one's organs.
Fact: 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: My body will be disfigured if I donate.
Fact: 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: Organs are often sold, giving the medical community enormous profits.
Fact: 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: My religion may prohibit organ donation.
Fact: 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:
• Obtain a donor card, sign it, and carry it with you. This card allows you to
specify which organs and tissues you wish to donate.
• Declare that you want to be a donor on your driver's license.
• Sign up with your state's donor registry (37 states now have one).
• 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. To discover the procedure in your state, contact
the Coalition on Donation at www.shareyourlife.org.
Telling your family about your decision to donate organs or tissues is of
critical importance. Even though you may have signed a donor card or placed your
name on a state registry, many hospitals will not take your organs for
transplant unless they have the consent of your family or next of kin.
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 2006, almost 65,000 people in the
U.S.--including 800 children under 18 years of age--were awaiting a kidney
transplant. Based on data from prior years, only about 16,000 of them will
receive their new kidney before year’s end. About 6,000 of those kidneys will
come from living donors.
