organ donation

Organ donation is the process of giving an organ or a part of an organ for the purpose of transplantation into another person. Organ donation can occur with a deceased donor, who can give kidneys, pancreas, liver, lungs, heart, intestinal organs and also a living donor, who can give a kidney, or a portion of the liver, lung, intestine, or pancreas.
On an average day, about 77 people receive organ transplants. But thousands more never get that call from their transplant center saying a suitable donor organ and a second chance at life has been found.
It can be hard to think about what's going to happen to your body after you die, let alone donating your organs and tissue. But being an organ donor is a generous and worthwhile decision that can be a lifesaver. Understanding organ donation can make you feel better about your choice. If you've delayed your decision to be a donor because of possibly inaccurate information, here are answers to some common organ donation myths and concerns.
First, if you agree to donate your organs, you are worried that the doctor or the emergency room staff won't work as hard to save your life. They'll remove your organs as soon as possible to save somebody else. But, it is wrong. When you go to the hospital for treatment, doctors focus on saving your life and not somebody else's. You'll be seen by a doctor whose specialty most closely matches your particular emergency. The doctor in charge of your care has nothing to do with transplantation.
Then, maybe you’ll feel won't really be dead when they sign your death certificate. It'll be too late for you if they've taken your organs for transplantation. You might have otherwise recovered. But the truth is although it's a popular topic in the tabloids, in reality; people don't start to wiggle a toe after they're declared dead. In fact, people who have agreed to organ donation are given more tests to determine that they are truly dead than are those who haven't agreed to organ donation.
Then, the thirds is you’re worried because you think that organ donation is against your religion. To tell the truth, organ donation is consistent with the beliefs of most religions. This includes Catholicism, Protestantism, Islam and most branches of Judaism. If you're unsure of or uncomfortable with your faith's position on donation, ask a member of your clergy. Another option is to check the federal Web site OrganDonor.gov, which provides religious views on organ donation and transplantation by denomination.
Then, the other is you worried because you’re under age 18. You’re too young to make this decision. That's true, in a legal sense. But your parents can authorize this decision. You can express to your parents your wish to donate, and your parents can give their consent knowing that it's what you wanted. Children, too, are in need of organ transplants, and they usually need organs smaller than those an adult can provide.
Then, you want your loved one to have an open-casket funeral. That can't happen if his or her organs or tissues have been donated. In reality, organ and tissue donation doesn't interfere with having an open-casket funeral. The donor's body is clothed for burial, so there are no visible signs of organ or tissue donation. For eye donation, an artificial eye is inserted, the lids are closed, and no one can tell any difference. For bone donation, a rod is inserted where bone is removed. With skin donation, a very thin layer of skin similar to a sunburn peel is taken from the donor's back. Because the donor is clothed and lying on his or her back in the casket, no one can see any difference.
Beside that, you also think that you’re too old to donate. Nobody would want your organs. But the truth is there's no defined cut off age for donating organs. Organs have been successfully transplanted from donors in their 70s and 80s. The decision to use your organs is based on strict medical criteria, not age. Don't disqualify yourself prematurely. Let the doctors decide at your time of death whether your organs and tissues are suitable for transplantation.
On top of that, you’re not in the greatest health, and your eyesight is poor. Nobody would want your organs or tissues. To tell you the truth, very few medical conditions automatically disqualify you from donating organs. The decision to use an organ is based on strict medical criteria. It may turn out that certain organs are not suitable for transplantation, but other organs and tissues may be fine. Don't disqualify yourself prematurely. Only medical professionals at the time of your death can determine whether your organs are suitable for transplantation.
Then, you would like to donate one of your kidneys now, rather than wait until your death. But you hear you can't do that unless you're a close family member of someone in need. While that used to be the case, it isn't any longer. Whether it's a distant family member, friend or complete stranger you want to help, you can donate a kidney through certain transplant centers. If you decide to become a living donor, you will undergo extensive questioning to ensure that you are aware of the risks and make sure you're giving away your kidney out of pure goodwill and not in return for financial gain. You will also undergo testing to determine that your kidneys are in good shape and that you can live a healthy life with just one kidney. You can also donate blood or bone marrow during your lifetime.
Then, rich, famous and powerful people always seem to move to the front of the line when they need a donor organ. There's no way to ensure that your organs will go to those who've waited the longest or are the neediest. Everyone keeps thinking about the same thing. But to tell you the truth, actually the rich and famous aren't given priority when it comes to allocating organs. It may seem that way because of the amount of publicity generated when celebrities receive a transplant, but they are treated no differently from anyone else. In fact, the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), the organization responsible for maintaining the national organ transplant network, subjects all celebrity transplants to an internal audit to make sure the organ allocation was appropriate.
Then, the last is you think that your family will be charged if you donate your organs. But it is totally wrong. The organ donor's family is never charged for donating. The family is charged for the cost of all final efforts to save your life, and those costs are sometimes misinterpreted as costs related to organ donation. Costs for organ removal go to the transplant recipient.
Contrary to popular belief, signing a donor card or your driver's license does not guarantee that your organs will be donated. The best way to ensure that your wishes are carried out is to inform your family of your desire to donate. Doing this in writing ensures that your wishes will be considered. Hospitals seek consent of the next of kin before removing organs. If your family members know you wanted to be a donor, it makes it easier for them to give their consent. If you have no next of kin or you doubt your family will agree to donate your organs, you can assign durable power of attorney to someone who you know will abide by your wishes. A lawyer can help you prepare this document.
Being an organ donor can make a big difference, and not just to one person. By donating your organs after you die, you can save or improve as many as 50 lives. And many families who have lost a loved one who became an organ donor say that knowing their loved one helped save other lives helps them cope with their loss. It's especially important to consider becoming an organ donor if you belong to an ethnic minority. Minorities including African-Americans, Asians and Pacific Islanders, Native Americans and Hispanics are more likely than whites to have certain chronic conditions that affect the kidney, heart, lung, pancreas and liver. Certain blood types are more prevalent in ethnic minority populations. Because matching blood type is necessary for transplants, the need for minority donor organs is especially high.
We know that organ donation is very important in order to save others’ life. So, everyone in this world needs to have consideration about how important it is to people who need a new organ and always be ready to donate our organ.

by,
Nurul Aisyah Ramli