Organ, Eye and Tissue Donation Lydia Stoner Volunteer & Publications Specialist
Organ Donation Oops
Goal for Today Provide attendees with the knowledge and skills to make an informed decision about donation and to share that information with family and friends.
LifeGift is an OPO. So What s That? An Organ Procurement Organization (OPO): Recovers organs and tissue for transplantation Coordinates the organ and tissue recovery process with surgeons, other transplant professionals and transplant centers Educates the public about the need for organ and tissue donation Offers lifesaving opportunities to individuals and families on behalf of those who desperately want a second chance at life
LifeGift Service Area 109 Counties in North, Southeast and West 225 Hospitals 9.6 Million Population Established in 1987-celebrated our 30th anniversary last year! Three agencies serve Texas: LifeGift Southwest Transplant Alliance (STA) Texas Organ Sharing Alliance (TOSA)
WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO John Delton Kate Kathy & Donnie Sydney Danny Elif Manuel & Lisa
LifeGift Priorities Honor the donor s wishes Inform and support families Advocate for people on the waiting list Inspire people to sign up to be donors
Statistics and Waiting List
80% of the Waiting List Needs a Kidney Americans are increasingly at risk for conditions which eventually lead to kidney failure: Type II Diabetes* High Blood Pressure* Hispanic, African and Native Americans are 3x more likely than Caucasians to suffer these conditions. * Can be prevented or delayed by staying at a healthy weight, eating well and getting exercise.
What is Donate Life Texas? Since 2005, the Donate Life Texas (DLT) organ, eye and tissue donor registry has empowered Texans with a secure, private way to record legal consent for organ, eye and tissue donation which helps make sure every medically-viable organ and tissue can become the gift of life. DLT is a database of Texas residents who voluntarily give legally binding consent to be organ, eye and tissue donors after death Created as part of Donate Life America registry network Facilitated locally by the staff and volunteers of the organ, eye and tissue procurement organizations across Texas, referred to as DLT Organizations
What Can One Person Do? 1 DONOR can touch the lives of MORE THAN 50 PEOPLE
One Organ Donor Can Save 8 Lives
Did You Know Donated corneas can restore sight to the blind.
Fact When the cornea is damaged due to injury, disease, infection or a hereditary condition, corneal transplant surgery may be an option.
Did You Know You can donate a kidney while you are still alive.
Fact Some people choose to donate a single kidney while they are alive. This is a safe and personal choice. You can donate a kidney to save the life of anyone who matches your blood and tissue type recipients don t have to be a blood relative! Living Kidney Donation has nothing to do with registering as a deceased donor.
Did You Know Both the baby and the Grandmother can be donors.
Fact There is no age limit for organ donation. The criteria required for organ donation is not the same as tissue and eye donation. This is why so many more people including babies, the elderly, and even people with health conditions are potentially eligible to save and enhance lives through tissue and/or eye donation.
Local Keene Resident Donor Local Keene resident, Carlton Blackburn made history when he became the oldest donor on record back in 2006. Mr. Blackburn was just nine days shy of his 93 rd birthday! He was able to donate his liver to a lady in Pittsburgh, PA who was 69 years old. Her family had been told she had less than 48 hours to live. We are very grateful to the Blackburn family for saving a life and allowing us to share their story.
How to Register There are several ways to join the Donate Life Texas Donor Registry: Say Yes when asked if you would like to register as an organ donor when applying for or renewing your Texas driver license or ID card. OR, say Yes when applying for or renewing your Texas vehicle registration OR, complete and mail or fax a paper registration form OR, register online at www.donatelifetexas.org Whichever method is used to join the Donate Life Texas registry, there s no need to worry about duplication. The system combines duplicate records automatically!
Why don t people register as donors? Fears & Myths Misinformation I don t want to think about death. I ll do it later. Confusion over religious beliefs on donation
Myth If I m registered as a donor, hospital staff will not work as hard to save my life. Myths & Facts about Donation Fact All efforts to save an individual s life are exhausted prior to the question of donation ever being raised. Donation will alter my funeral arrangements. Donation is against my religion. Celebrities receive organs first. If my heart still beats, I m not dead. Organs and tissues are recovered like any routine surgery. Donation would not alter funeral plans in terms of time or manner. All mainstream U.S. religions either advocate for or leave the donation decision up to the individual. The national system is based upon severity of disease and other medical factors. One cannot recover from brain death.
Interesting Facts about Donated Organs 1. Heart (4 hours) 2. Lungs (4 hours) 3. Liver (6 to 12 hours) 4. Pancreas (6 hours for transplant 12 hours for islet cells) 5. Intestines (4 to 6 hours) 6. Kidneys (up to 48 hours, 72 if they are on the kidney pump)
Tissue Uses Bone used in orthopedic/dental surgery Skin used as biological dressing for burn victims Full thickness skin is used in abdominal & breast reconstruction surgeries Veins and arteries used for cardiac bypass and vascular surgeries Fascia used for reconstructive surgeries Tendons/Ligaments used to repair traumatic and sports injuries Heart valves usually used to replace defective valves in children and women of child-bearing age Corneas restore sight
Who Can? You Can! ANYONE can register! We encourage those who wish to be donors to register now and let medical staff decide which organs and tissues may be viable, if and when the time comes.
Donate Life Texas 2 nd Chance Run
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