Organ Donation Awareness Ribbon
Do you need your organs when you’re dead? If your answer is no, then organ donation is something you should consider. Why let a good set of organs go to waste when they could be used to save someone’s life?
April 20-27, 2014 is National Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Week. This week brings awareness to the number of individuals who have saved and improved lives through organ and tissue donation and the number of people who are on the transplant waiting list.
One organ donor can save up to eight lives and provide tissue to enhance up to 75 lives. But there are not enough donors–one person on the transplant waiting list dies every three days because they are unable to get an organ transplant. There are currently over 4,500 Canadians on the organ transplant waiting lists and thousands of individuals waiting for tissue transplants.
What is organ donation?
Organ donation is when someone consents to donate their organ to a person in need of a transplant. Organ donation saves lives. An organ transplant occurs when organs are removed from an organ donor and given to an organ recipient (who would otherwise die) to replace their damaged organ. The majority of organ donors are deceased individuals; however, it is possible to donate a kidney or a portion of your liver while you are alive.
What organs can you donate?
One person can donate up to eight organs: heart, two kidneys, liver, pancreas, lung, small bowel, and stomach.
What is tissue donation?
Not only can you donate your organs, donating tissue is possible too. Tissue donation can occur more frequently because individuals don’t have to die in hospital. The problem is not many people know about or understand the reason for tissue donation. Tissue transplantation improves lives. It could restore eyesight, mobility, improve appearance and help treat severe burns.
What tissues can you donate?
One person can provide tissue for many recipients: eyes (corneas), heart valves, skin, bones, islet cells of the pancreas, and connective tissue.
How can you donate?
You have to register you wish to donate with your provincial Ministry. Generally, you complete a form and send it to the Ministry. You can choose to donate everything or select particular items you wish to donate. Organs and tissue can be donated for the purposes of transplantation and/or research. You can change your mind at any time. Make sure you inform your loved ones of your wish for organ and/or tissue donation so they will honour your decision.
What happens when you donate?
Only after all life saving efforts have failed will your organ donation registry information be disclosed from the Ministry to organ donation agencies. The donation agencies will inform loved ones and healthcare professionals of your wishes. Once your loved ones agree to proceed with your wishes, testing is done to find a match with people waiting on the organ transplant list. If there is no match, then nothing will be taken (organs and tissues found to be unsuitable will also not be recovered).
If you choose to donate organ and/or tissue it will not affect funeral or burial plans. You can have an open casket funeral because organ recovery occurs from the abdomen or chest and tissue recovery a paper-thin layer of skin is removed from the back of the body. All of these areas would be covered by clothes.
By donating your organs and/or tissue you will save or improve lives.
To find out more about organ donation in your province visit the Canadian Transplant Association.
