Currently, there are 103,223 men, women, and children who are awaiting a transplant. With the power of organ donation, these lives could be saved. However, there are many misconceptions about organ donation, and whether or not it is beneficial.
What exactly is Organ Donation?
Organ donation is the process of transferring a healthy organ from someone who doesn’t need it to replace someone else’s failing organ. This can either be from what is called a living donation or a non-living donation. A living donation is when someone living donates one of their organs that their body can function without, such as a kidney or a part of their liver. A non-living donation is when someone who previously consented to being a donor is pronounced brain dead, and all viable organs are donated. However, only 3 out of 1,000 registered donors die in a way that even makes organ donation possible.
The Myths of Organ Donation
There is a lot of negative stigma surrounding organ donation, due to myths that are often spread as fact. Some examples of these common misconceptions are;
One, being an organ donor will cause problems with your burial and/or funeral service. This is not true, as being a donor wouldn’t change any part of a funeral or a burial process. Bodies are treated with care throughout the entire transplant process, and you are even able to have an open casket funeral following an organ donation.
Two, doctors will give different treatment to patients who have donated organs. It is believed that some doctors prioritize those who are donors, while others don’t provide proper treatment in order to get more viable organ donations. Neither of these statements are true, doctors always perform every attempt at life saving measures and don’t even consider organ donation until a patient is considered legally deceased.
Three, you have to be dead in order to be an organ donor. This is not true, and anybody who has healthy, viable organs can be a donor. There are more than 6,500 living donations that are made per year, a large majority of them being kidney transplants, but some being other organs such as livers, intestines, pancreas’, or part of a lung.
The Facts of Organ Donation
It is extremely important to stay educated and informed about organ donation, because it is a choice that many residents of the United States have to make. The United States has performed more organ transplants than any other country, possibly due to our “opt-in” donor model. In many states, you can decide whether or not to be an organ donor with just one simple signature, while getting or renewing your driver’s license. Though being a living donor provides the typical risks that are possible with any common surgery, there are absolutely no downsides of donating organs following your death. There is no payment or cost required of the donor’s family, and it’s possible to save up to 8 lives and enhance the lives of about 75 more people by donating. It is also commonly believed that religions don’t approve of organ donation, which isn’t necessarily true. No major US religions oppose organ donation, and most view it as an act of charity or love. Choosing to donate your organs after death has a ton of benefits, and is really a good option for everybody. Choose to donate your organs, and choose to save lives!
Sources:
https://www.organdonor.gov/learn/organ-donation-statistics
https://www.jeffersonhealth.org/your-health/living-well/facts-and-myths-about-organ-donation
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/11750-organ-donation-and-transplantation
https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/Common-Organ-Donation-and-Transplantation-Terms#:~:text=be%20reduced%20greatly.-,Living%20Donors.,(non%2Ddirected%20donor). https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/Common-Organ-Donation-and-Transplantation-Terms#:~:text=Deceased%20donors%20are%20sometimes%20called,recipient%20%E2%80%9Cmatch%E2%80%9D%20is%20located.
