Myths and Facts about Organ Donation
Since I was diagnosed with heart failure, I have thought a lot about organ donation, and organ transplants. Unfortunately, most people have some misconceptions about the entire process. Some of the most common (and totally wrong) things I’ve heard:
“Well, I mean, I don’t want to sign up to be an organ donor NOW, I’m still using them, you know?”
“I don’t know, it just seems so creepy.”“They wouldn’t be able to use any of my organs because I drink/smoke, so why bother?”
and probably the most common:
“If I say I’m an organ donor, the doctors will just let me DIE!”
These myths are a huge problem, especially considering the fact that there simply are not enough people agreeing to be organ donors. 18 people die every day waiting for an organ transplant. As I’m waiting on a new heart, I could even end up being one of them.
Fortunately, the Mayo Clinic staff has compiled a list of common myths and explained why they are untrue.
——————————————————————————————————-•Myth: If I agree to donate my organs, the hospital staff won’t work as hard to save my life.
Fact: When you go to the hospital for treatment, doctors focus on saving your life — not somebody else’s. You’ll be seen by a doctor whose specialty most closely matches your particular emergency. The doctor in charge of your care has nothing to do with transplantation.
•Myth: Maybe I won’t really be dead when they sign my death certificate.
Fact: Although it’s a popular topic in the tabloids, in reality, people don’t start to wiggle their toes after they’re declared dead. In fact, people who have agreed to organ donation are given more tests (at no charge to their families) to determine that they’re truly dead than are those who haven’t agreed to organ donation.
•Myth: Organ donation is against my religion.
Fact: Organ donation is consistent with the beliefs of most religions. This includes Catholicism, Protestantism, Islam and most branches of Judaism. If you’re unsure of or uncomfortable with your faith’s position on donation, ask a member of your clergy. Another option is to check the federal Web site OrganDonor.Gov, which provides religious views on organ donation and transplantation by denomination.
•Myth: I’m under age 18. I’m too young to make this decision.
Fact: That’s true, in a legal sense. But your parents can authorize this decision. You can express to your parents your wish to donate, and your parents can give their consent knowing that it’s what you wanted. Children, too, are in need of organ transplants, and they usually need organs smaller than those an adult can provide.
•Myth: An open-casket funeral isn’t an option for people who have donated organs or tissues.
Fact: Organ and tissue donation doesn’t interfere with having an open-casket funeral. The donor’s body is clothed for burial, so there are no visible signs of organ or tissue donation. For bone donation, a rod is inserted where bone is removed. With skin donation, a very thin layer of skin similar to a sunburn peel is taken from the donor’s back. Because the donor is clothed and lying on his or her back in the casket, no one can see any difference.
•Myth: I’m too old to donate. Nobody would want my organs.
Fact: There’s no defined cutoff age for donating organs. Organs have been successfully transplanted from donors in their 70s and 80s. The decision to use your organs is based on strict medical criteria, not age. Don’t disqualify yourself prematurely. Let the doctors decide at your time of death whether your organs and tissues are suitable for transplantation.
•Myth: I’m not in the best of health. Nobody would want my organs or tissues.
Fact: Very few medical conditions automatically disqualify you from donating organs. The decision to use an organ is based on strict medical criteria. It may turn out that certain organs are not suitable for transplantation, but other organs and tissues may be fine. Don’t disqualify yourself prematurely. Only medical professionals at the time of your death can determine whether your organs are suitable for transplantation.
•Myth: I’d like to donate one of my kidneys now, but I wouldn’t be allowed to do that unless one of my family members is in need.
Fact: While that used to be the case, it isn’t any longer. Whether it’s a distant family member, friend or complete stranger you want to help, you can donate a kidney through certain transplant centers. If you decide to become a living donor, you will undergo extensive questioning to ensure that you are aware of the risks and that your decision to donate isn’t based on financial gain. You will also undergo testing to determine if your kidneys are in good shape and whether you can live a healthy life with just one kidney.
•Myth: Rich and famous people go to the top of the list when they need a donor organ.
Fact: The rich and famous aren’t given priority when it comes to allocating organs. It may seem that way because of the amount of publicity generated when celebrities receive a transplant, but they are treated no differently from anyone else. In fact, the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), the organization responsible for maintaining the national organ transplant network, subjects all celebrity transplants to an internal audit to make sure the organ allocation was appropriate.
•Myth: My family will be charged if I donate my organs.
Fact: The organ donor’s family is never charged for donating. The family is charged for the cost of all final efforts to save your life, and those costs are sometimes misinterpreted as costs related to organ donation. Costs for organ removal go to the transplant recipient.
Why you should consider organ donationNow that you have the facts, you can see that being an organ donor can make a big difference, and not just to one person. By donating your organs after you die, you can save or improve as many as 50 lives. And many families say that knowing their loved one helped save other lives helped them cope with their loss.
How to donateBecoming an organ donor is easy. You can indicate that you want to be a donor in the following ways:
- Register with your state’s donor registry. Most states have registries. Check the list at OrganDonor.gov.
- Designate your choice on your driver’s license. Do this when you obtain or renew your license.
- Sign and carry a donor card. Cards are available from OrganDonor.gov.
(Source)
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It may not seem important to you right now, but to someone waiting for an organ transplant, it is literally a life or death situation. By agreeing to donate your organs after you die, you are giving someone (or several people) a chance to live a normal life.
Hey guys, sorry to stray off-topic, but this is really important to me. I wrote this yesterday and would appreciate if you took a few minutes to read over it, thank you.
No Appeal Was Firm Resolution Thomas Transplant ! http://newish.info/205792-no-appeal-was-firm-resolution-thomas-transplant
My dad needs new lungs.
Dear Tumblr,
My dad needs a double lung transplant.
He’s holding an oxygen tank, in the red bag, in this picture. He’s on oxygen at all times, and he risks injury or possible death without it. He has bronchiectasis, which basically means his lungs are set up in a way that bad stuff (germs and fluid mostly) stays down in his lungs and his body can’t bring it up. There is no cure for this other than a transplant.
He currently has two big, constant infections, mycobacterial avium complex (or MAC, think a non-contagious, not-quite-lethal version of tuberculosis), and aspergillis (also nasty). Also, due to the constant festering and fluid in his lungs, he is almost constantly battling strains of viral pneumonia. He is in the hospital an average of 5 times a year from anywhere from a week to a month. When he gets home, he has to administer IV medication himself, tubes almost constantly implanted in his arms. He cannot take pills because, due to the severity of the infections, all available, applicable pills are useless. The infections are simply too resistant.
This is on top of COPD, which some people are on the transplant list for without any other complications.
As the situation stands, this puts a severe strain on our family, because it is difficult for all of us, and especially my father, to live normal lives. I know the hospital better than the employees. My dad cannot walk across the room or eat without a respiratory attack. My mother comes home to an empty house every day for weeks. This is no way for any of us to live, and the doctors are afraid that, one day, when the infections are bad enough, my dad will die.
Transplants are expensive (think about the cost of a few nice houses in the suburbs), but our insurance is good. Unfortunately, hospital bills, co-pays, and medication is still going to be expensive. Also, if my father gets the transplant, and survives, my mother will have to be out of work for a month minimum. Her elementary schoolteacher’s salary is our only source of income other than my dad’s social security disability check, and they are trying to keep me in college.
Donations have to be through this website, because we have signed an agreement with them that we won’t accept donations any other way. The organization is useful because if he raises money, the organization will match some of it, or give him gifts, etc. If he dies, any money raised for him will be gifted to other people who need organs.
Also, if you (or your parents) need convincing, donations are tax-deductable.
If you can’t donate, or don’t want to, you might do me a favor or two. Both are free:
- Signal boost this information, and pass it along.
- Become an organ donor.
After A Kidney Transplant, Donors Are Doing Well : http://ping.fm/wpoVV
