Rotary District 7690 Piedmont, North Carolina, USA

Transcription

1 Rotary District 7690 Piedmont, North Carolina, USA Phil Morris District Governor Porsha Lane High Point, NC (336) Fax (336) Cell (336) Club Service Opportunities: Clemmons Rotary Club & Carolina Donor Services Contact Ken Burkel (Clemmons) To this memo I am attaching details provided by the Clemmons Rotary Club describing their partnering with Carolina Donor Services, a program that supports organ donation. In brief, the Carolina Donor Services describes the program as follows: It s all about LIFE Share your life More than 80,000 Americans are waiting for life-saving organ transplants and hundreds of thousands more could benefit from tissue transplants. Unfortunately, the need for donors is much greater than the actual number of donors. Your commitment to organ and tissue donation can save lives. Share your decision The most important part of deciding to be a donor is telling your family. Talking about donation does not mean talking about death. It is talking about the opportunity to give another person a second chance at LIFE. Even if you have signed a donor card or indicated your wish to donate on your driver s license, you should tell your family so they know your wishes. People of all ages and medical histories should consider themselves potential donors. Doctors will determine what organs and tissue can be donated at the time of death. All major religions approve of organ and tissue donation and many consider donation the greatest gift. An open casket funeral is possible for organ and tissue donors. There is no national registry of organ and tissue donors. Even if you have signed something, be sure you have told your family your wishes. Carolina Donor Services will provide a card that should be signed in the presence of your family and carried in your wallet. Details of Clemmons Rotary Club s implementation of this program follows... Thank you for your consideration.

2 Clemmons Rotary Donate Life Organ & Tissue Donor Initiative Our Clemmons Rotary Club is proud to partner with Carolina Donor Services, a non-profit organ procurement organization serving 6.1 million people in 79 counties in North Carolina. Their philosophy is best described in their mission statement. Carolina Donor Services saves and improves lives through our commitment to increasing organ and tissue donation. For more information, visit their Why are we becoming involved? Last year 22,545 people received transplants in the U.S. Of those, 620 were North Carolinians. Unfortunately, 4,955 died waiting for a transplant, 204 were from North Carolina. We can make a difference by helping raise awareness, education, and increase donor sign up. With the help of Carolina Donor Services, we identified the following needs and opportunities for our club. Educate and increase donor sign up within our own club, family and friends. Encourage workplace challenges for employers within our community to promote donorship. Encourage other Rotary Clubs and service clubs to promote donorship. Encourage and develop programs for the medical community to actively promote donorship. Encourage student groups at area colleges and universities to promote donorship. Work to get press and media releases to raise awareness. What is being asked of you as a Clemmons Rotarian? Read the enclosed information. If you have questions ask committee member or call Carolina Donor Services for the answer. (800) ) Talk to five or more friends/relatives to make them aware of the need, give them literature and donor card. Our goal is to have each Rotarian witness 5 donor card sign-ups. Remember to convey the critical components: Having a heart on your drivers license is only an intent to be a donor The signed donor card is a legal document conveying their wishes Emphasize the importance of telling family members of their intentions Do not pressure anyone to be an organ donor. Complete the enclosed contact list and return to the Donate Life box at the Wednesday check in table by 6/29/05. And, Thank You! With your help we can save lives. Clemmons Rotary Donate Life Committee Ken Burkel and Justus Harris, Co Chairs Terry Haywood, David Garrett, Gil Davis, Jenny Kirksey, Pat & Kathy Stanly

3 Please return to the Donate Life box by June 29, 2005 Rotarians Name I have spoken to the following people. Note: No one else other than you will follow up with any of your contacts unless they request someone to contact them.

4 THE LIST OF LIFE The United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) maintains a national patient waiting list for organ transplants. These figures are from UNOS, which maintains a website at Patient Waiting List for Organ Transplants as of May 2, 2005 * ORGAN NEEDED PATIENTS IN US PATIENTS IN NC KIDNEY 61,590 1,958 LIVER 17, PANCREAS 1, KIDNEY - PANCREAS 2, INTESTINE HEART 3, HEART-LUNG LUNG 3, TOTAL 87,804** 2,875** *Based on UNOS data as of May 2, **Some patients are waiting for more than one organ; therefore the total number of patients is less than the sum of the patients waiting for each organ. PATIENTS IN US PATIENTS IN NC PATIENTS WHO RECEIVED ORGAN TRANSPLANTS IN , PATIENTS WHO DIED WHILE WAITING IN , *Based on UNOS data as of March 31, Every 12 minutes, a new name is added to the waiting list. Every day, 17 people die while waiting for a transplant.

5 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT ORGAN AND TISSUE DONATION Q. How do I become a donor? A. You become a donor in three steps: 1. Say yes to donation on your driver s license 2. Sign and carry a donor card 3. Express your wishes to your family. The most important thing you can do is to discuss organ donation with your family because if you do not have a signed donor card, the decision of your organ and tissue donation will be made by your legal nextof-kin at the time of death. If you have a signed donor card, your wishes will be carried out. Q. What organs and tissues can be donated and how are they used? A. Organs that can be donated include the heart, lungs, liver, pancreas, kidneys, and small intestine. Organs are used to save lives by replacing diseased organs with healthy ones. Tissues that can be donated include skin, bone, corneas, heart valves and veins. Skin grafts are used in burn victims; bone, tendons and ligaments can be used in reconstructive surgeries; corneas are transplanted to give sight; heart valves are used in valve replacement surgery, common in children, and leg veins can be used in heart bypass surgery. Q. Is there any cost to my family if I am an organ/tissue donor? A. No. Donation costs nothing to the donor s family or estate. The family is only responsible for hospital charges before the death declaration and for funeral and burial expenses. Q. Will signing a donor card affect the quality of medical care I receive? A. Absolutely not. If you are sick or injured and admitted to the hospital, the number one priority is to save your life. Organ and tissue donation can only be considered after a person is declared legally dead. Q. Is there an age limit for donation? A. No. Potential donors are evaluated on an individual basis, regardless of age. Q. Is it true that only rich people get transplants? A. No. The organ allocation system is blind to wealth or social status. All potential recipients are entered into a national computer database maintained by the United Network for organ Sharing (UNOS). When a donor is identified, the donor's blood type, tissue type, body weight, and size are matched against the list of patients currently waiting for a transplant. The severity of the potential recipient's illness and his/her time on the waiting list are also considered.

6 Q. Are there any racial barriers to donation and matching organs? A. No. Race is not a barrier, nor is it a criteria for organ placement. The UNOS computer database matches organ donors with potential recipients according to medical suitability. However, patients waiting for kidney transplants are more likely to match medically with a donor of the same race. Q. If I am in good health can I sell my organs for money? A. No! It is against the law to buy or sell organs in the United States. Q. Can I be a donor if I have (or have had) cancer? A. People who have (or have had) some forms of cancer can be eye donors. They could be an organ and tissue donor if they have been cancer-free for at least five years. Q. Can my organs be used if I die at home? A. Unfortunately, no. Organs must have a continuous blood and oxygen supply to be suitable for transplantation. Only individuals who have been declared brain dead, usually in a hospital intensive care unit, can be potential organ donors. However, tissue donation can occur when someone dies at home. Q. What does brain death mean? A. Brain death occurs as a result of a severe injury to the head or a brain hemorrhage. The brain swells and obstructs its own blood supply. Without blood flow, the brain dies. Brain death is the complete and irreversible stopping of all brain function as indicated by medical tests. Brain death is not a coma --- it is permanent and cannot be reversed. Brain dead patients have no chance of survival, but they do have a chance to help patients needing transplants live full, productive lives. Q. If I am a donor, will there be a delay in funeral services? A. In most cases, no. The procedure can be completed and the body released to the funeral home the next day. Q. Can I still have an open casket funeral? A. Yes. Organ and tissue recoveries are conducted in the operating room under the direction of qualified surgical personnel. An incision is made, closed, and dressed; therefore, the body s appearance is not changed by the donation process. Also, the identity of the donor family is kept confidential so no one will know that donation took place. Q. Can I still be an organ donor and also donate my body to science? A. If you are an organ or tissue donor, a medical school will not accept your remains for teaching purposes. However, if you are an eye donor, you may donate your body to a medical school. Some research institutions will accept your body for research after organ and tissue donation.

7 RELIGIOUS VIEWS ON DONATION AND TRANSPLANTATION People considering organ/tissue donation and transplantation often wonder if such acts are compatible with their religious beliefs. Research has found that most religions support donation and transplantation. AME & AME ZION (African Methodist Episcopal): view organ and tissue donation as an act of neighborly love and charity. They encourage all members to support donation as a way of helping others. AMISH: will consent to transplantation if they believe it is for the well-being of the transplant recipient. John Hostetler, an authority on Amish religion, says in his book, Amish Society, that The Amish believe that since God created the human body, it is God who heals. However, nothing in the Amish understanding of the Bible forbids them from using modern medical services, including surgery, hospitalization, anesthesia, blood transfusions or immunization. ASSEMBLY OF GOD: has no official policy regarding organ and tissue donation. The decision to donate is left up to the individual but is highly supported by the church. BAPTISTS: believe organ and tissue donation and transplantation are ultimately matters of personal conscience. The nation s largest Protestant denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention, adopted a resolution in 1988 encouraging physicians to request organ donation in appropriate circumstances. Other Baptist groups have supported organ and tissue donation as an act of charity and leave the decision to donate up to the individual. BRETHREN: do not take an official position on organ and tissue donation. According to Pastor Mike Smith, there is a consensus among the National Fellowship of Grace Brethren that organ and tissue donation is a charitable act so long as it does not impede the life or hasten the death of the donor or does not come from an unborn child. BUDDHISTS: believe organ donation is a matter of individual conscience. According to the faith s leaders, there is no written resolution on this issue. Leaders have said they honor people who donate bodies and organs to the advancement of medical science and to saving lives. CATHOLICS: view organ donation as an act of charity, fraternal love and selfsacrifice. Transplants are ethically and morally acceptable to the Vatican. According to Father Leroy Wiechowski, director of the office of health affairs of the Archdioceses of Chicago, We encourage donation as an act of charity. It is something good that can result from a tragedy and a way for families to find comfort by helping others. CHRISTIAN CHURCH (Disciples of Christ): encourage organ and tissue donation, stating that we were created for God s glory and for sharing God s love. A 1985 resolution, adopted by the General Assembly encourages,...members of the Christian Church to enroll as organ donors and support those who have received an organ transplant. CHRISTIAN SCIENTISTS: take no specific position on transplants or organ donation as distinct from other medical or surgical procedures. Church members usually rely on spiritual rather than medical means of healing. They are free, however, to chose the form of medical treatment they desire, including organ transplantation. The decision of organ donation is left to the individual. EPISCOPALIANS: encourage all Christians to become organ, blood, and tissue donors...as part of their ministry to others in the name of Christ, who gave His life that we may live in fullness. The church also passed a resolution in 1982 that recognizes the life-giving benefits of organ, blood, and tissue donation. GREEK ORTHODOX: are not opposed to organ donation as long as the organs and tissue in question are used to better human life, such as for transplantation or for research that will lead to improvements in the treatment and prevention of diseases. GYPSIES: share common folk beliefs and tend to be opposed to organ donation because of their beliefs about afterlife. Gypsies believe the soul retraces its steps for one year after death and the body must remain intact because the soul maintains its physical shape. HINDUS: are not prohibited by religious law from donating their organs, according to the Hindu Temple Society of North America. The act is an individual decision.

8 INDEPENDENT CONSERVATIVE EVANGELICALS: generally have no opposition to organ and tissue donation. Each church is autonomous and leaves the decision to donate up to the individual. ISLAMICS: The Religion of Islam believes in the principle of saving human lives. The majority of Muslim scholars (belonging to various schools of Islamic law) have permitted organ transplants as a necessity of prolonging and saving the human life. JEHOVAH S WITNESSES: believe it is a matter of individual conscience. Although the group is often assumed to ban transplantation because of its taboo against blood transfusion, it does not oppose donation or receiving organs. All organs and tissues, however, must be completely drained of blood before transplantation. JUDAISM: teaches that saving the human life takes precedence over maintaining the sanctity of the human body. Jewish officials state that if a member is in the position to donate an organ to save another s life, it is obligatory to do so. This holds true even if the donor never knows who the beneficiary will be. The basic principle of Jewish ethics - the infinite worth of the human being - also includes donation of corneas, since eyesight restoration is considered a life-saving operation. LUTHERANS: believe donation contributes to the well-being of humanity. A 1984 resolution of the Lutheran Church in American says that donation can be...an expression of sacrificial love for a neighbor in need. The church calls on members to consider donating organs, make any necessary family/legal arrangements, and to sign a donor card. MENNONITES: have no official position regarding organ donation and transplantation. Church officials state such decisions are individual and family ones. MORAVIANS: have no official statement regarding organ donation and transplantation. Church officials believe the decision to donate is a matter of individual choice. MORMONS (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints): are not prohibited by religion law from donating their organs or receiving transplants, according to the church leaders. The decision is a personal one made in conjunction with family, medical personnel and prayer. PENTECOSTALS: believe the decision to donate should be left up to the individual. PRESBYTERIANS: encourage and support organ and tissue donation. The church also states they respect a person s right to make decisions regarding his or her own body. PROTESTANTS: encourage and endorse organ donation. The faith respects the individual conscience and a person s right to make decisions regarding his/her body. Officials for the various denominations which compose Protestantism say donation enables more abundant life, alleviates pain and suffering, and is an expression of life in times of tragedy. SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS: strongly encourage organ donation and transplantation. Seventh-Day Adventists have many transplant hospitals and believe the decision to donate is a personal one. SHINTOS: consider the dead body to be impure and dangerous, and quite powerful. According to E. Namihira in his article, Shinto Concept Concerning the Dead Human Body, it is difficult to obtain consent from bereaved families for organ donation...the Japanese regard them all in the sense of injuring a dead body. Families are often concerned the relationship between the dead person and the bereaved people will be injured. SOCIETY OF FRIENDS (Quakers): do not have an official position on organ and tissue donation. The Society of Friends considers the decision to donate to be an individual one. UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST: strongly encourage organ and tissue donation. Donation is widely supported by Unitarian Universalists; they view it as an act of love and selfless giving. UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST: is very supportive of organ and tissue donation. According to Reverend Jay Lintner, Director, Washington Office of the United Church of Christ Office for Church in Society, United Church of Christ people, churches, and agencies are extremely and overwhelmingly supportive of organ sharing. The General Synod has never spoken to this issue because, in general, the Synod speaks on more controversial issues, and there is no controversy about organ sharing... UNITED METHODISTS: support organ and tissue donation. The United Methodist Church issued a statement regarding donation stating, The United Methodist Church recognizes the lifegiving benefits of organ and tissue donation, and thereby encourages all Christians to become organ and tissue donors by signing and carrying cards or driver s licenses, attesting to their commitment of such organs upon their death, to those in need, as part of their ministry to each other in the name of Christ...