Dispelling the Myths Behind Organ Donation
Recent advances in transplantation technology
allow patients to live longer and improve the
quality of their lives. Despite such medical progress,
an estimated 18 people die each day waiting for
transplants because of the shortage of donated
organs (www.organdonor.gov).
This month is National Donate Life Month and the
Penn Transplant Center is committed to promoting
organ and tissue donation awareness. By addressing
some common misconceptions about organ donation,
they hope to help meet the needs of the 90,000
people awaiting important organ and tissue donations.
Who Can Donate? Almost Everyone!
Most people don’t consent to organ donation
because they assume they are ineligible. There
is no age or racial restrictions on who can be
an organ donor. Both young and old can agree to
donate if they are in good physical condition.
Those who are under 18 years of age need parental/guardian
consent.
Those who have different ethnic backgrounds are
encouraged to consent to organ donation as the
specific blood and tissue typing factors involved
in organ matching make the need for transplants
unusually high among some ethnicities.
If I Agree to Donate, will I be Treated Fairly?
The fear that a person will not receive optimum
medical treatment if the doctors know he or she
is an organ donor also leads some people away
from agreeing to become an organ donor. This couldn’t
be farther from the truth as the medical team
working to save any patient’s life is completely
separate from the transplant team. Only after
all life-saving efforts have been attempted and
death has been declared, will the transplant team
be called . Every possible effort to save a life
is made before the patient’s status as an
organ donor is even considered.
What Gets Donated?
- Bone Marrow
- Heart
- Kidneys
- Pancreas
- Lungs
- Liver
- Intestines
- Cornea
- Skin
- Hearts
- Connective tissue
How to Become an Organ Donor
Expressing your wishes to become an organ and
tissue donor is a simple yet an extremely important
process. You can indicate your wish to donate
an organ or tissue on your driver’s license
or through an organ donor card. But in order for
your donation preferences to be carried out, it
is important to inform your family members and
loved ones of your decision.
To learn more about organ donation and transplantation,
visit the Penn
Transplant Center website or call 1-800-789
PENN.
Dash for Organ Donor Awareness
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Show your Support and Join the Penn Transplant
Center Team for this 5K, 10K run or 3K walk on
West River Drive, Philadelphia, PA.
Click
here for more information and to register.
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