Today, nearly 100,000 people are waiting for an organ transplant to live healthier, more productive lives. A single donor can offer life-saving organs for up to eight people and take that into account even more so thousands of lives are improved by tissue and cornea donation and transplants that can help people move better, see better, and live better.
Signing up to be an organ donor means that one day, you will be able to help others in need. It affects not only the donor and recipients but also the families, friends, colleagues, and acquaintances who love and support people who need their transplant by registering to become an organ donor.
You have the option of donating organs, such as the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, pancreas, or intestine, as well as tissues. The help we can give to other people is significant. And just thinking about that, it’s not just adults but also children that we can help.
Valves, such as heart valves, can be transplanted to save the lives of children born with heart defects and adults. The skin can also be used as a natural advantage for people with severe burns. Corneas can give someone with an eye disease the ability to see again, and tendons, which are like the elastic cords that bind bones and muscles together, can be donated to help build damaged joints.
Who can be an organ donor?
Almost anyone, regardless of age or race, can become an organ donor. And there is no cost to the person’s family or estate. Your medical condition at the time of your death may determine which organs and tissues can be donated. But if you want to be an organ donor, be sure to sign up for a donor registry in your state to share that decision with your family and friends.
Some conditions, such as cancer, an active infection, or heart disease, can prevent a person from becoming a donor, as well as someone who smokes or uses illicit drugs, because there is so much to know that smoking and drugs can cause extensive organ damage.
But even that question is a little tricky because your pre-existing or past medical condition doesn’t determine whether or not you can donate. The transplant surgeon will evaluate the organs and he can decide on a case-by-case basis which organ can be donated to and which cannot. For example, if someone dies of a heart attack, they will not be able to donate their heart, but they may donate their kidneys or liver. In short, a disease of one organ does not prevent another from being donated.
Organ donation is a very important way to help others. People on a list are either waiting for this organ or will develop an organ disease at a time that is determinable for them. So, your decision is significant and can help many receive an organ.
It can become a life-changing event for this person and their family. Knowing that their loved one is helping to save the lives of others can also help a family get through the grieving process.
