Benefits of Organ, Eye, and Tissue Donations

Did you know that when you donate organs, eyes, and other tissues, you are giving someone less fortunate a new lease on life? You give them a chance to lead healthy, productive, and normal lives and allow them to get back to their normal lives. They are able to get back to their families, friends and communities.

By donating organs, eyes, and/or other tissues, you are giving hope to the many people suffering from organ failure. With the help of organ donors, they can lead active and renewed lives. The hitch is that the demand outweighs the supply.

According to Donate Life America, people of all ages and medical histories should consider themselves potential donors. Your medical condition at the time of death will determine what organs and tissue can be donated. Donated organs, including the heart, pancreas, kidneys, liver, lungs, and intestines, restore life. Tissue is needed to replace bone, tendons and ligaments lost to trauma, cancer and other diseases in order to improve strength, mobility, and independence. Corneas are needed to restore sight.

Skin grafts help burn patients heal and often mean the difference between life and death. Heart valves replace cardiac defects and damage. All major religions support organ, eye and tissue donation as an unselfish act of charity. There is no cost to the donor's family or estate for donation. The donor family pays only for medical expenses before death and for funeral expenses. It is illegal to buy or sell organs and tissue for transplantation in the United States. It is possible to donate life to others as a living kidney or partial liver, lung, intestine, or pancreas donor.

Last year more than 7,500 deceased donors made possible more than 21,000 organ transplants. In addition, there were nearly 7,000 transplants from living donors. There are also 25,000 tissue donors and 40,000 cornea donors annually, providing more than one million tissue and corneal transplants. The need for donated organs, eye and tissue continues to grow. Nearly 100,000 men, women, and children currently await life-saving organ transplants. An average of 18 people die each day due to a lack of available organs. Every donor can save and enhance the lives of up to 50 people.

Organ, eye and tissue donation becomes an option only after all life-saving efforts have been made and death has been declared. Your medical care is not interfered with. Your consent for donation is confirmed, and your family is asked to be part of the process by providing your medical history. Surgical procedures are used to recover donated organs, eyes, and tissue. The body is always treated with great care and respect. Your funeral arrangements are not delayed or changed and an open casket service is possible.

Organs are distributed based upon medical information like blood type, body size, and tissue type through a database. Tissue is distributed based upon patient need, availability, and medical criteria.

Become a donor today or discuss donation options with your loved ones. Contact your local or national organ donor organization and become a registered donor. Someone less fortunate will thank you for their new life.