With Easter upon us at the start of the month, it didn't seem appropriate to post about something that seems as "off topic" as organ donation. But when you think about it, organ donation offers an opportunity for new life for the recipient. In a sense, it allows the one who has died to allow for a type of "resurrection" as a damaged organ is replaced with one that is functional.
Did you know these facts, found here?
1. Over 79,000 U.S. patients are currently waiting for an organ transplant; nearly 3,000 new patients are added to the waiting list each month.
2. Every day, 16 to 17 people die while waiting for a transplant of a vital organ, such as a heart, liver, kidney, pancreas, lung or bone marrow.
3. Because of the lack of available donors in this country, 2,025 kidney patients, 1,347 liver patients, 458 heart patients and 361 lung patients died in 2001 while waiting for life-saving organ transplants.
4. Nearly 10 percent of the patients currently waiting for liver transplants are young people under 18 years of age.
5. Acceptable organ donors can range in age from newborn to 65 years or more. People who are 65 years of age or older may be acceptable donors, particularly of corneas, skin, bone and for total body donation.
6. An estimated 10,000 to 14,000 people who die each year meet the criteria for organ donation, but less than half of that number become actual organ donors.
I've spent 30 years of my nursing career working with transplant recipients of one sort or another... kidney, liver, pancreas, stem cells. My family was also blessed to have a family member who survived for 13 years after receiving a double lung transplant. I've seen the difference a donated organ can make in the life of someone, and in response, my driver's license indicates that I want to be an organ donor upon my death.
If you would like to learn more about becoming an organ donor, please visit one of these websites:
And if you want to get some idea of what your gift can mean, watch this video:
Thank you!
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A reminder to visit 7 Quick Takes every Friday!
Also, please enter this week’s caption contest, found here.
Good reminder Sue!
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