By Dr. Matthew Cooper
Director of Kidney Transplantation
Americans always seem to seek a cause to champion. We have benefits for causes ranging from “Save the Whales” to “Protect the Rainforest.” We have dates on the calendar to celebrate and remember special people and months to promote greater awareness of important causes (e.g., Black History Month, Breast Cancer Awareness Month). The question is, do we lose the value of our intentions with so many of these causes given their just due? I certainly hope not.
April is Donate Life Month! It’s a time when we attempt to bring into focus the remarkable opportunities available through organ and tissue donation. It challenges all of us to consider organ donation at a time when we’re not faced with making such a difficult decision. It calls us all to think of someone else’s needs above our own. It asks us a question — do I have what it takes to be called a hero?
Organ transplantation saves lives … and makes lives better! There is no question about it; the optimum treatment for end-stage organ failure is organ replacement. Study after study support this basic fact. The problem, however, is that just like any valuable resource, there exists a serious supply and demand problem. The number of patients on the national waiting list continues to grow exponentially and organ availability remains essentially unchanged.
For each person who receives the gift of life, many will die waiting. It’s one of the most difficult conversations to have with a patient — telling them we know how to help through transplantation, but not having the resources on hand to make it happen. And so the waiting lists grow…
All that changes with someone saying ‘Yes’ to organ donation. It may not always be an easy decision, but it’s one worth making.
I had the opportunity to participate in a Ceremony of Remembrance this week that celebrated all the living and deceased donors and deceased donor families over the past year. It was a truly moving experience, and one I will never forget. I was surrounded by groups of people that see organ donation as the only option, and their stories were remarkable. There were also a number of organ transplant recipients simply there to say thank you. It reaffirmed for me the incredible humanity that makes organ transplantation a miracle.
I would ask everyone reading this to make this year’s Donate Life Month the time you say yes to organ donation and consider adding your name to your state’s organ donor registry at organdonor.gov, confirm your status as an organ donor on your driver’s license, and be certain to make your loved ones aware of your decision to become an organ donor.
I would also ask you to consider becoming a living kidney donor by contacting your local transplant center and requesting data on the process. Living kidney donation, now performed through minimally invasive surgical techniques — after careful and thorough pre-operative evaluation — is not only a safe process, but allows individuals to return to their normal daily activities in a few weeks. Again, you’ll be saving a life.
What better time than Donate Life Month to make organ donation your cause to champion by becoming an organ donor!
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Dr. Cooper – excellent way to raise awareness. Is there an age limit to becoming a donor?
thank you,
maria
Thank-you for your comment Ms. Shaffer. Age is not a limitation to organ donation – either deceased or living donor. The evaluation process to determine safety and suitability for organ donation varies, however, based upon an individual’s age.
Can non US citizens take part at this Organ Donation program?
Thanx, nikkinag
US citizens can be deceased donors but again, I would encourage your loved ones to be certain they are aware of your wishes. Transplant centers have varying policies regarding non US citizens as living kidney donors so be sure to check with the center of your choice if this is your interest.
Dr. Cooper – My Grandmother donated a kidney to my uncle in the 60′s. I currently do not have a friend or relative in need of a transplant. Is a person allowed to go through the donor screening process for a stranger?
Thank-you for you question. Yes, this is the process of non-directed donation in which an individual may present to a transplant center, complete a full evaluation, and someone who is waiting for a transplant on a deceased donor waiting list can benefit from you Gift of Life. It is also possible to participate in a Donor Chain in which multiple pairs of donors and recipients that are not able to donate to one another for incompatible blood types can exchange donors allowing many to receive transplants that is begun with a non-directed donor. If you’re interested, please contact the Medical Center and the process can begin.
I am an Australian citizen and have Organ Donor on my drivers license. That is not enough. You need to tell your family and those close to you that if anything happens you want your organs donated.
Don’t leave it until emotions block the thought process. If it is talked through “yes” is the automatic answer at a traumatic time.