Do you believe in second chances? Or a life where you become the medium for someone else’s second chance at living his life. This month we are celebrating National Organ Donation Day that falls on the November 27 each year. This day aims to raise awareness about organ donation, appreciate organ donors who have pledged to donate their organs, and encourage others to enlist themselves for donating their organs.
Did you know?
- 5 lakh people in India need organ donation every year.
- One can donate tissues like the cornea, heart valves, skin and bone after natural death only.
- Vital organs like the heart, pancreas, liver, kidneys, and lungs are donated in cases of brain death only.
- If a person has an illness like cancer, HIV, diabetes, kidney problems or heart ailment, they cannot donate their organs as a living donor.
What can be donated?
Organs
- Kidneys
- Liver
- Lungs
- Heart
- Pancreas
- Intestines
- Hands
- Face
Tissues
- Corneas
- Tendons
- Valves
- Veins
- Skin
- Bones
- Blood Stem Cells
- Cord Blood
- Bone Marrow
- Blood
- Platelets
Who can donate organs?
Regardless of age, people can register to donate their organs. A person below 18 years has to get the consent of their guardian.
Living Donor: A person who voluntarily authorises to donate his organ during their lifetime.
Deceased Donor: Regardless of age, gender, race, anyone can opt to become a donor after their death (Brainstem or Cardiac).
Now, let’s check out the myths on organ donation:
Organ donation disfigures the body
The truth is that whenever an organ is to be donated, the organs are taken surgically without mutilating the body or disfiguring it. Whenever any part of the body is donated, no visible signs of donation appear. Whenever a specific organ is up for donation,, doctors carefully replace it with an artificial organ. After an eye donation, doctors insert an artificial eye to fill the void. In the case of bone donation, a rod is put in its place.
Only the rich & famous get priority while awaiting transplants
The factors considered for organ donation include the severity of illness, blood type, and the time spent waiting for it. There is no connection with wealth, fame or social status in the organ allocation system.
Only the deceased can donate kidneys
No. A living donor and a deceased can both donate their kidneys. But if they suffer from kidney problems, they are prevented from donating them.
The family gets invoiced for donating their organs
Organ donors never have to pay for donating organs. The cost that the hospital takes is for the efforts for saving the life. Moreover, the charge of the organ donation procedure is paid for by the transplant recipient.
The hospital staff show no urgency to save the life of the organ donor
No, it is not like that. The foremost duty of the doctor is to save the life of the patient and not of somebody else.
Doctors will take all the organs if you are an organ donor
An individual can specify the organs which they are willing to donate. The ones specified are only taken for donation and not all of them.
Let us all pledge to donate our organs and help save a life!
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