Organ donation saves lives. It is probably safe to say that if we needed a donor organ to save our own life, or the life of a family member, we would hope it would be available. What about the other side of the coin?
According to the Mayo Clinic website, more that 95,000 people are on the U. S. organ transplant waiting list. Sick patients are waiting for kidneys, livers, pancreases, intestines, bone marrow, hearts and lungs. In 2006, nearly 6,00 people died while waiting for an organ transplant.
The importance of organ donation will be one of the aspects of the upcoming TNT Cable Television network’s new drama series “Heartland,”, starring Treat Williams.
Many people hesitate to donate their organs for transplant after their death, not because they think they will need them, but because of fears perpetuated by myths. It’s only natural to have fears and concerns about organ donation. For people who are thinking about organ donation, but who are hesitating because of lack of information, or misinformation. Here are some common concerns and questions about organ donation, gathered from Mayo Clinic (mayoclinic.com).
Myth 1. Doctors or emergency room staff won’t work as hard to save the life of an organ donor. They remove the organs as soon as they can to save someone else.
Realty 1. Doctors focus on saving their patient’s life, not someone else’s. A patient will be seeing a doctor whose specialty matches their particular emergency. The doctor in charge of a patients care has nothing to do with transplantation.
Myth 2. Maybe they will remove organs prematurely, before the patient is really dead.
Realty 2. A popular tabloid myth. In realty, people who have agreed to donate their organs are given more test to determine that they are really dead, than those who haven’t agreed to organ donations.
Myth 3. The donor’s family will be charged for donated the organs of a loved one.
Reality 3. The organ donor’s family is never charged for donating. The family is charged for the costs of the final efforts to save th life. Sometimes these costs are misinterpreted as costs of organ donation. The recipient of the organ is billed for the cost. If a bill is received, talk to the billing department of the hospital to verify what it is for. It is possible for the charge to be misdirected, and that should be corrected.
Myth 4. Race plays a role in determining who gets an organ.
Reality 4. The national organ transplant wailing list is colorblind. No race information is included in the medical data of the donor or the recipient.
Myth 5. Rich, famous and powerful people are moved to the top of the transplant list.
Reality 5. The rich and famous aren’t giving any priority. It may seem that way because their cases generate a lot of publicity. The united Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) subjects celebrity transplants to an internal audit to make sure the allocation was appropriate.
Myth 6. Organ Donors won’t be able to have an open casket funeral.
Reality 6. Organ donation does not interfere with having an open casket funeral. Stitching is covered by clothing.
Myth 7 . Senior citizens think their organs are too old and no one would want them.
Reality 7. There is no defined cutoff age for organ donations. Doctors can decide at the time of death whether organs are viable for transplant.
Myth 8. Due to poor health or eyesight organs would not be viable for transplant.
Reality 8. Very few medical conditions disqualify a donor. Medical professional can determine at the time of death whether organs are suitable for transplant..
People who decide to donate their organs after death should put their wishes in writing and make their wishes known to family members.
