As of April 15th, 2004 , 84,626  people were listed for life saving organ transplants. Of that number 3,890  were waiting for lung transplants and 186 for heart-lung transplants. 356 people with lung and heart-lung disease died waiting on the list in 2003. Eighty-one people became too sick to transplant.  1,114  lung and heart-lung patients received the best gift of all, the gift of life in 2003.

Every day 17 people will die waiting for a transplant because there are not enough organs available. Every 13 minutes another name is added to the list of those who are waiting.  Organs that can be donated include heart, lung, liver, kidney, pancreas, and small intestine http://www.unos.org/ . About one third of the people waiting will receive a transplant in any given year.

Although 85% of Americans support donation, there is an organ shortage. In 2003, there were 6.455 cadaveric donors and 6,814 living donors nationwide.  Many families simply do not know the wishes of their deceased loved ones.  Faced with a decision at the time of a tragic event many do not consent to donation. What can you do? The most important thing you can do is to discuss donation with your family members. Make sure your family knows that you support donation and in the event of your death you wish to be an organ and tissue donor.

Some states are mandating a presumed consent policy. If you have a signed donor card at the time of death (see below for a PRINTABLE CARD), and you are in an area that has legislated this policy your donor card will be legally binding. (http://www.presumedconsent.org ) 

  It is important to remember as a volunteer that our job is to educate the public, not to force our viewpoint on others. A particularly sensitive area is minority donation. Race is not a barrier to donation, but kidney transplant patients are more likely to find an antigen match within their same race. African- Americans, Asian-Pacific Islanders and Latinos are three times more likely to suffer from end-stage kidney disease than Caucasians. Native Americans are four times more likely to develop diabetes than Caucasians. The Minority Organ Tissue Transplant Education Program http://www.mottep.org/  is committed to educating the public about donation as well as about lifestyle changes that may serve to decrease the health risks in minority communities.  

Tissue donation has become an  increasingly important area to cover in any discussion on donation. Tissue donation can occur even when someone dies at home. Tissues that can be donated include skin, bone, bone marrow, corneas (from the eyes), and heart valves.  Skin grafts are used for burn victims; bone is molded and used in reconstructive surgery; corneas are transplanted to give sight; and heart valves are used in valve replacement surgery. A donor who donates everything can save up to seven people and benefit up to 50 people. Even then an open casket funeral is possible as all organs and tissues are removed by skilled surgeons. More information may be obtained at http://www.livingbank.org/tissues.html

 At the Transplant games I met a number of donor families. These families have joined forces to help get the word out about donation. We owe them a deep debt for their willingness to give their loved one's organs and tissues. I have been collecting stories from and about donor families. These stories will help you understand the donor family perspective. Each and every one of these families are heroic. They have put aside their grief and thought of those waiting and those in need of organ and tissue donations.

Recently a new class of organ donor has emerged through living lobe donation. Two people must each donate a lobe to a recipient for this procedure http://www.2ndwind.org/donor_program/livedonor.htm.

Finally, I would like to thank my donor family. All I know about you is that you lost your son tragically when he was murdered in Durham , NC . Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your generosity. With your donation and the Lord's help I continue to live a full life with my husband, Rick, and daughter, Sarah.

Additional Donor stories always welcome.

Kathryn Flynn
April 2004

Coordinator, Donor Program Feature
Send Kathryn Email

Table Of Contents For The Organ Donor Program Feature