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Organ donation is the harvesting of an individual's organs after he or she dies for the purpose of transplanting them into another person. Although not as common, certain organs can be removed from a living person and transplanted in another to save or enhance his or her life. In either case, permission from the individual or immediate family is needed to proceed with this procedure. Organs that can be harvested for transplant from a person who has died include: Lungs
Heart
Kidneys
Intestines
Pancreas
Liver
Organ donation is similar to, but should not be confused with tissue donation, which is the harvesting of: Bones and bone marrow
Corneas
Veins
Skin
Heart valves
Tendons
How Organ Donation and Transplantation Works -
When a person dies or is declared brain dead, it is the hospital's responsibility to find out if that individual is an organ donor. If he or she is, their organs will be kept viable via ventilator or other mechanisms until they can be harvested. Most of the individuals whose organs are donated will have died from an external trauma or head injury. Those with serious illnesses such as cancer usually do not make good candidates. Many factors are taken into consideration in determining what organs are viable including how long the person has been deceased as well the individual's physical health before he or she died. In many cases, procurement specialists and doctors have roughly 24 hours to remove and transplant the organs. Statistics Over the years, individuals have become more aware of the benefits of organ donating.
The Benefits of Organ Donating-Depending on your beliefs, the benefits of organ donating can outweigh the cons:
-Helps grieving families : When a loved one dies, most families will want to do everything they can to help the grieving process. Knowing that the corneas or heart of the person who just died will help another see or even live can be very comforting. They receive some peace knowing that something positive has come out of the death. -New lease on life : For those receiving the organs, these transplants can mean a second chance at life. For some, it means being able to see, while for others, it can mean actually being able to live.
-Better quality of life : Individuals who are dependent on kidney dialysis and receive a kidney transplant can return to living a regular lifestyle without machines.
-Cost effective : Some organ transplants can be less expensive in the long run than continuing medical care, specifically in the case of kidney transplants.
- Social responsibility : Many individuals feel it is their social responsibility to help others survive or live normal lives.
How to Become an Organ Donor?
To help reap the benefits of organ donation, start by becoming an organ donor. Those wishing to become one need to have their wishes known while they are still alive and healthy. Legally, in most states, you can have a sticker placed on your driver's license or identification card, or you can have it put in your will. Your name will be put into a national registry, and upon your demise, any viable organs will be harvested for transplant. If you are younger than 18 , you will need parental consent to become a donor.