Save Lives with Organ Donation
Many people dream of being a hero, someone whose noble acts have a profoundly positive impact on another, giving them a whole-new lease on life. Few can perform Superman-like acts, but almost everyone has the chance to be a hero. Organ donation is a heroic act through which one person can save numerous people — and all it takes is simply registering online.
Organ Donation Statistics
According to the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), more than 103,000 patients are currently on the national organ transplant waiting list. Kidney transplants lead the way with 89,792 hopeful recipients, followed by liver (9,424), heart (3,456), kidney/pancreas (2,177), lung (898), pancreas (850), and 240 others that include face, hands, and abdominal wall transplants.
The impact of organ donation cannot be understated. The HRSA reports one patient is added to the list every eight minutes, and every day, 17 people die waiting for a transplant. Meanwhile, just one donor can save an estimated eight lives and improve the quality of life for 75 more.
What Can I Donate?
The HRSA reports numerous organs can be donated both in life as well as death. While they’re alive, donors can give one kidney, one lung, and part of the liver, pancreas, or intestines. After death, both kidneys, the entire liver, both lungs, the heart, the pancreas, the intestines, and hands and face may be donated.
Various tissues such as the corneas, middle ear, skin, heart valves, bone, veins, cartilage, tendons, and ligaments may be donated after the donor has died. In the case of corneas, more than 97% of corneal transplants restore the recipient’s eyesight. Additionally, healthy patients between the ages of 18-60 may donate blood stem cells, which can be collected from the donor’s bone marrow.
How Do I Become a Donor?
Signing up to be an organ donor is quick and easy. Illinois residents can sign up through the Secretary of State Organ/Tissue Donor Registry, which only requires the donor’s driver’s license or state ID number, name, address, city, and ZIP code. Granting first-person consent through this online form is legally binding, meaning any consent from witnesses or family members is no longer required and your wishes are followed. This also allows medical personnel to preserve organs during precious early moments when time is a factor.
By registering to become an organ donor, you pledge to impact the lives of countless others in desperate need of a transplant, as well as their family and friends. Anyone can register — sign up to donate today and be a hero to many.
Before you register, make sure you’re informed about the donation process. Visit the HRSA organ donation portal for more information about the matching of donors and recipients, recovery and transportation, and the process of transplanting donated organs and tissues.