From the Editors

The last time you went to the Department of Motor Vehicles to get your driver’s license or to renew it, did you sign up to be an organ and tissue donor? You might have to get the discounted rate, but did you stop to think about the repercussions of that? Don’t panic, there are none. Even if you did sign up because you truly want to be a donor, you are not one.

The only way to become a donor is to talk to your family or the people that would make decisions for you in the event that you are declared dead. Morbid, right? Who can talk to their family about what will happen to them in case they die? It is not a comfortable subject, and sometimes the family does not agree with the decision to donate. But no wish to donate will be carried out through the request on a driver’s license. Written consent must be given by all of the family members or decision makers.

Every day there are approximately 60 people who receive life-saving organ transplants, but another 15 that are waiting will die in that same day.

There are a lot of myths associated with organ and tissue donation. Perhaps the most common is that if you are in an accident and the hospital knows that you want to be a donor, the doctors will not try to save your life. The fact is that the doctors and nurses that treat you at the hospital do not know your wishes. They are completely separate from the team that will come in to discuss donation. After all efforts to save your life have been made and failed, the organ procurement organization (OPO) is notified. The OPO does not notify the transplant team until your family has consented to donation.

The doctor’s main concern is saving your life when you get to the emergency room. He or she will not even know who you are, only your situation.

Another concern that people have is that donation will disfigure their body. The organs are actually removed in the same surgical fashion they would be if you were still alive and having your gallbladder removed. All organs, or only the ones specified will be removed from an organ donor. An open-casket funeral will be no problem for the donor.

After my brother passed away, my family decided to donate his organs and tissue. We know that is what he wanted but not by looking at his driver’s license (it was lost at the time). When we were approached about donation, we all knew it was the right thing to do.

The decision to donate changes the life of so many people, not just the person whose life will be saved. I volunteer with organ recipients, and I know how appreciative they are. I am happy with the decision that my family made.

Some people believe that they can just include that they want to be an organ and tissue donor in their will. Your wishes will not be carried out that way. By the time your will is read it will be too late. So tell your family that you want to be an organ and tissue donor so that you can give someone’s loved one the gift of life.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Dec 7 2001. Filed under Opinion. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry