Organ Donation

Organ Donation

Organ donation is defined as the act of giving one's organs or tissue to anther person. The process is very simple but can vary from state to state. Some states ask people if they would like to put their approval for organ donation on their driver's license and some have an official way of registering people for it. However, it is always best to just fill out a donor card and carry it in a wallet or purse. It is most important that a potential donor talks to their family about their wishes because the family is given the final approval before a organ donation can take place. There are two types of organ donors, living and deceased. A living donor is a person who can donate a kidney, part of a lung, part of a liver, tissue or bone marrow while they are still alive. There is no age limit to becoming a potential donor, both babies and senior citizens have became donors. For example, if an infant dies from something as Shaken Baby Syndrome then they are now considered to be an organ donor for at least one of the 2,300 children waiting for a transplant (National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome). The Organ Procurement Organization is a federally operated nonprofit organization that identifies potential donors, obtains consent, and oversees the transplant from beginning to end. Over 89,000 U.S. patients are currently waiting for an organ transplant; nearly 4,000 new patients are added to the waiting list each month (National Kidney Foundation). Knowledge of organ donation is becoming more necessary due to the various diseases that can be found around the world, and the benefits of this act can save many lives, and as more people understand the difference between the myths and truths of this type of donation they may be more accepting of it.

The story of Erin Quinn shows how more than organs can be given. Erin Quinn had just turned twenty-one two weeks early when crossing a street she was struck by a car. Erin died immediately because her neck had broke and it was impossible for her heart to continue beating. Since her heart was no longer beating, her organs were no longer viable. Erin's parents were devastated because they knew how passionate their daughter was about organ donation. As her parent's began to grieve over the loss of their daughter, the New York Organ Donor Network contacted the Quinn's. The New York Organ Donor Network helped them to understand the importance of eye and tissue donations. They explained to her parents that although she would not be able to donate her major organs, there were still other ways of giving a better life to someone else. Both of Erin's corneas went to two women which enabled them to see again. Sixteen people around the country have been helped through her bone donation alone. An eighty year old woman's life was extended with the donation of Erin's aortic valve to repair the heart. A chance to start a life was given to a two-day-old baby boy when he received Erin's pulmonary valve. Through the death of Erin Quinn multiple lives were enhanced even though she could not donate major organs (New York Organ Donor Network).

There are five different types of donations that can save lives called the Five Points of Life. The five types of donations are whole blood, apheresis, bone marrow, organ and tissue, and cord blood. Whole blood can be separated into red cells, plasma, and platelets and will help three different patients. The red cells carry vital oxygen and are used for surgery patients and accident victims. The plasma provides fluid often needed by trauma and burn patients. The platelets help blood to clot and are needed by cancer patients, especially those on chemotherapy. An apheresis donation is another way of donating blood cells but instead only the needed blood components would be taken and the rest would be returned to the donor. For instance, one apheresis donor could provide the same amount of platelets as eight whole blood donors. This type of donation is often used in blood transfusions. Bone marrow donations provide stem cells for patients having transplants. The stem cells help build a new blood supply for the patient. Those with leukemia and serious blood diseases benefit from this type of donation the most. This is the only type of donation that is not collected unless needed for a specific patient. Organ and tissue doning is the giving of the kidneys, heart, liver, lungs, corneas, or many other organs to replace damaged or diseased organs and tissues. Cord blood (umbilical cord blood) is collected immediately after birth. The cord blood contains a high concentration of blood-forming stem cells. Cord blood can be frozen and stored for more than a decade, the longest out of all the types of donation. This is an alternative to bone marrow for patients needing stem cell transplants. The majority of recipients for this type of donation have been children (Life South Community Blood Centers).

Organ donation is necessary with the increase of life threatening diseases that are occurring around the world. Organs and tissues can be damaged in numerous ways like injury, disease, or even abnormal birth defects. When organs such as the heart, liver, lungs, or kidneys become damaged sometimes replacing the organ can be the only way for a person to stay alive or live a normal life. Every day, 17 people die while waiting for a transplant of a vital organ. Because of the lack of available donors in this country, 3, 886 kidney patients, 1,811 liver patients, 457 heart patients and 483 lung patients died in 2004 while waiting for life-saving organ transplants (Donate Life).

Organ donation has many benefits that can save many lives. Replacing a damaged organ can save a persons life or at least allow them to live a more normal life. Families benefit from these donations by knowing something positive came out of a negative event that occurred in their life. An example of how a recipient can benefit from a donation is the transplant of the cornea to help a blind person see again or for the first time in their life. The organs of one donor can help save the lives of several recipients. A perfect example of this is the story of Julian Byrd.

Julian Byrd was a brain dead high school senior who died in the hospital from reasons not related to cancer or any other diseases which made him a perfect candidate for organ donation. The final decision of whether or not his organs would be donated rested on the heart of his mother, Susan Deaton. Julian did not look dead to the eye because of machines and monitors keeping his heart beating and blood pumping throughout his body. Mrs. Deaton was struggling with the fact of not giving Julian the chance to 'pull through' although he was already technically brain dead. Scott Demczyszyn, Gift of Life Donor