Save a life. Consider organ donation.

Published by May 9, 2018 | By Dr. Josh Palgi

As of February 2, 2018, there were 118,000 people waiting for life-saving organ transplants in the U.S.

Overall, the demands for organs far exceeds the supply. Sometimes, myths and misperceptions about organ, eye, and tissue donation can prevent someone from signing up. Imagine the lives we could have if everyone knew the true facts about donation.

Organ donation is when a person allows an organ of theirs to be removed, legally, either by consent while the donor is alive or after death with the assent of the next of kin.

Donation may be for research, or more commonly healthy transplantable organs and tissues may be donated to be transported into another person.

Common transplantation includes: kidneys, heart, liver, pancreas, intestines, lungs, bones, bone marrow, skin, and corneas.

Most donations occur after the donor has died.

The first living organ donor in a successful transplant was Ronald Lee Herrick, who donated a kidney to his identical twin brother in 1954.

The youngest organ donor was a baby with anencephaly, born in 2015, who lived for only 100 minutes and donated his kidneys to an adult with venal failures. The oldest known organ donor was a 107 year old Scottish woman, whose corneas were donated after her death in 2016. The oldest known organ donor for an internal organ was a 92 year old Texas man, whose family chose to donate his liver after he died of a brain hemorrhage.

Some facts:

• 33,611 transplants were performed in 2016
• 20 people die each day waiting for a transplant
• 95% of U.S. adults support organ donation but only 54% are actually signed up as donors
• Every 10 minutes another person is added to the waiting list
• Each year, the number of people on the waiting list continues to be much larger than both the number of donors and transplants, which grows slowly.
• One donor can save eight lives
• One person can donate up to 8 lifesaving organs

Becoming an organ and tissue donor is one of the most generous actions you can take. There is little standing in the way of your ability to save someone’s life.

You can make a difference for the thousands of people waiting for lifesaving and life enhancing transplants. Join in the effort. Help raise public awareness of organ, eye, and tissue donation – and encourage others to sign up to save lives.

What can be done to save more lives?

-Register in your state

-Make your wishes known to friends and family

-Help raise awareness of the importance of donation.

To register your decision to save and heal lives visit registerme.org

To learn more organ, eye, tissue and living donation, visit Donatelife.net

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