Are you a organ and tissue donor?
If you have not told your family.......your
not.
Two
Simple Steps That Make a Lifesaving Difference
Step
One - Share Your Life
Transplantation is one of the most remarkable
success stories in the history of medicine. Transplantation is often the only
hope for thousands of people suffering from organ failure, or in desperate need
of corneas, skin, bone or other tissue. More than 60.000 Americans await
life-saving organs while hundreds of thousands more could benefit from tissue
transplants. Tragically, the need for donated organs and tissues is greater than
the supply. Thousands of people die needlessly each year due to lack of donors.
You can save lives by deciding to be an organ and tissue donor.
Step
Two - Share Your Decision
Sharing your decision to be an organ and tissue
donor with your family is as important as making the decision itself. At the
time of your death, your family will be asked about donation. Sharing your
decision with your family now will prevent confusion or uncertainty about your
wishes. Carrying out your wish to save other lives can provide your family with
great comfort in their time of grief.
Questions
and Answers
To
help you decide, here are the answers to some commonly asked questions about
organ and tissue donation.
Who can become a donor?
You should consider yourself a potential organ and tissue donor. Your
medical condition at the time of death will determine what organs and tissues
can be donated.
What organs and tissues
can I donate?
Needed organs include the heart, kidneys,
pancreas, lungs, liver and intestines. Tissues that can be donated to help
others include the eyes, skin, bone, heart valves and tendons.
Will my decision to become
an organ and tissue donor effect the quality of my medical care?
No. Organ and tissue recovery takes place only
after all efforts to save your life have been exhausted and death has been
legally declared. The doctors working to save your life are entirely separate
from the medical team involved in recovering your organs and tissues.