Dont take your organs to heaven, heaven KNOWS we need them here!

Some facts about Organ Donation:

Organ Donation and Transplant

At this moment, more than 100,000 people in the U.S. are waiting for an organ. Four thousand more people are added to the national waiting list each day.

Each of these people is in desperate need of a kidney, liver, heart, or other organ. More than 6,500 people a year -- about 18 a day -- die before that organ ever becomes available.

Organ donors are always in short supply. There are far more people in need of a transplant than there are people willing to donate an organ.

Most of the organs that are available come from deceased donors. When you fill out an organ donor card with your driver's license, you're agreeing to donate all or some of your organs if you die.

A smaller number of organs come from healthy people. About 6,000 transplantsfrom living donors are performed each year.

You might have wondered about donating an organ -- either to a friend or relative who needs an organ right now, or by filling out an organ donor card. Before you decide to become an organ donor, here is some important information you need to consider.

Organ Donation: The Facts

Here are a few questions you might be asking if you're considering organ donation:

Who can donate an organ?

Just about anyone, at any age, can become an organ donor. Anyone younger than 18 needs to have the consent of a parent or guardian.

For organ donation after death, a medical assessment will be done to determine what organs can be donated. Certain conditions, such as having HIV, actively spreading cancer, or severe infection would exclude organ donation..

Do my blood and tissue type have to match the recipient's?

It's easier to transplant an organ if the donor and recipient are a good match. The transplant team will put you through a series of tests to determine whether your blood and tissue types are compatible with the recipient's.

Some medical centers can transplant an organ even if the donor's and recipient's blood and tissue types don't match. In that case, the recipient will receive special treatments to prevent his or her body from rejecting the new organ.

How can I become an organ donor?

To donate your organs after death, you can either register with your state's donor registry (visit OrganDonor.gov), or fill out an organ donor card when you get or renew your driver's license.

To become a living donor, you can either work directly with your family member or friend's transplant team, or contact a transplant center in your area to find out who's in need of an organ

If I donate an organ, will I have health problems in the future?

Not necessarily. There are some organs you can give up all or part of without having long-term health issues. You can donate a whole kidney, or part of thepancreas, intestine, liver, or lung. Your body will compensate for the missing organ or organ part. If it is determined that donating an organ would put your health at risk in the short term or long term, then you would not be able to donate.

Will I be paid for donating an organ?

No. It's illegal to pay someone for an organ. The transplant program, recipient's insurance, or recipient should cover your expenses from tests and hospital costs related to a living organ donation. The transplant program can go over what coverage is available for additional medical services. Some or all of your travel costs may also be covered.

Will organ donation after death mean I can't have an open-casket funeral?

No. The surgical incisions used for organ donation will all be closed.

Will my organ donation after death incur any costs to my family?

No. The costs of the tests and surgery related to the donation will be covered by the recipient -- most often by the recipient's insurance. Your medical care and funeral costs are paid for by your family.  

Does signing a donor card have an impact on the quality of medical care I get at a hospital?

No. When you are in a life-threatening situation, the medical team that is treating you is separate from the transplant team. A maximum effort to save your life will be made before an organ donation is considered.

Pros and Cons of Organ Donation

When you're considering becoming a living organ donor, think very carefully about these pros and cons:

Pros. Probably the greatest benefit of organ donation is knowing that you're saving a life. That life might be your spouse, child, parent, brother or sister, a close friend, or a very grateful stranger.

Cons. Organ donation is major surgery. All surgery comes with risks such as bleeding, infection, blood clots, allergic reactions, or damage to nearby organs and tissues.

Although you will have anesthesia during the surgery as a living donor, you can have pain while you recover from surgery. Your pain and discomfort will vary depending on the type of surgery. And you may have visible, lasting scars from your surgery.

It will take some time for your body to recover from the surgery. You might have to miss work until you're fully healed.

Although the recipient's insurance will cover the costs of the surgery, any medical problems that develop from the transplant in the future won't be covered. Even your own health insurance policy might not cover these complications.

Should You Become an Organ Donor? Making Your Decision

As you decide whether to donate an organ as a living donor, weigh very seriously the benefits and risks of organ donation.

It's important for you to get as much information as you can before making your decision. The transplant center should fully explain the organ donation process to you. You should also be assigned an independent donor advocate who will promote your medical rights.

Make sure you ask a lot of questions throughout this process. It's important for you to fully understand the surgery and how becoming an organ donor might affect your future health.

Finally, remember that this is your decision -- yours alone. Don't let anyone sway that decision. Even if a friend or loved one is very sick, you have to consider how donating an organ might affect your own life. Remember that even though the donation process has started, you have the right to stop it at any time if you change your mind.

Understanding organ donation can make you feel better about your choice. If you've delayed your decision to be a donor because of possibly inaccurate information, here are answers to some common organ donation myths and concerns.

Myth: If I agree to donate my organs, the hospital staff won't work as hard to save my life.

Fact: When you go to the hospital for treatment, doctors focus on saving your life — not somebody else's. You'll be seen by a doctor whose specialty most closely matches your particular emergency. The doctor in charge of your care has nothing to do with transplantation.

Myth: Maybe I won't really be dead when they sign my death certificate.

Fact: Although it's a popular topic in the tabloids, in reality, people don't start to wiggle their toes after they're declared dead. In fact, people who have agreed to organ donation are given more tests (at no charge to their families) to determine that they're truly dead than are those who haven't agreed to organ donation.

Myth: Organ donation is against my religion.

Fact: Organ donation is consistent with the beliefs of most religions. This includes Catholicism, Protestantism, Islam and most branches of Judaism. If you're unsure of or uncomfortable with your faith's position on donation, ask a member of your clergy. Another option is to check the federal Web site OrganDonor.gov, which provides religious views on organ donation and transplantation by denomination.

Myth: I'm under age 18. I'm too young to make this decision.

Fact: That's true, in a legal sense. But your parents can authorize this decision. You can express to your parents your wish to donate, and your parents can give their consent knowing that it's what you wanted. Children, too, are in need of organ transplants, and they usually need organs smaller than those an adult can provide.

Myth: An open-casket funeral isn't an option for people who have donated organs or tissues.

Fact: Organ and tissue donation doesn't interfere with having an open-casket funeral. The donor's body is clothed for burial, so there are no visible signs of organ or tissue donation. For bone donation, a rod is inserted where bone is removed. With skin donation, a very thin layer of skin similar to a sunburn peel is taken from the donor's back. Because the donor is clothed and lying on his or her back in the casket, no one can see any difference.

Myth: I'm too old to donate. Nobody would want my organs.

Fact: There's no defined cutoff age for donating organs. Organs have been successfully transplanted from donors in their 70s and 80s. The decision to use your organs is based on strict medical criteria, not age. Don't disqualify yourself prematurely. Let the doctors decide at your time of death whether your organs and tissues are suitable for transplantation.

Myth: I'm not in the best of health. Nobody would want my organs or tissues.

Fact: Very few medical conditions automatically disqualify you from donating organs. The decision to use an organ is based on strict medical criteria. It may turn out that certain organs are not suitable for transplantation, but other organs and tissues may be fine. Don't disqualify yourself prematurely. Only medical professionals at the time of your death can determine whether your organs are suitable for transplantation.

Myth: I'd like to donate one of my kidneys now, but I wouldn't be allowed to do that unless one of my family members is in need.

Fact: While that used to be the case, it isn't any longer. Whether it's a distant family member, friend or complete stranger you want to help, you can donate a kidney through certain transplant centers. If you decide to become a living donor, you will undergo extensive questioning to ensure that you are aware of the risks and that your decision to donate isn't based on financial gain. You will also undergo testing to determine if your kidneys are in good shape and whether you can live a healthy life with just one kidney.

Myth: Rich and famous people go to the top of the list when they need a donor organ.

Fact: The rich and famous aren't given priority when it comes to allocating organs. It may seem that way because of the amount of publicity generated when celebrities receive a transplant, but they are treated no differently from anyone else. In fact, the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), the organization responsible for maintaining the national organ transplant network, subjects all celebrity transplants to an internal audit to make sure the organ allocation was appropriate.

Myth: My family will be charged if I donate my organs.

Fact: The organ donor's family is never charged for donating. The family is charged for the cost of all final efforts to save your life, and those costs are sometimes misinterpreted as costs related to organ donation. Costs for organ removal go to the transplant recipient.

Why you should consider organ donation

Now that you have the facts, you can see that being an organ donor can make a big difference, and not just to one person. By donating your organs after you die, you can save or improve as many as 50 lives. And many families say that knowing their loved one helped save other lives helped them cope with their loss.

It's especially important to consider becoming an organ donor if you belong to an ethnic minority. Minorities including African-Americans, Asians and Pacific Islanders, Native Americans, and Hispanics are more likely than whites to have certain chronic conditions that affect the kidney, heart, lung, pancreas and liver. Certain blood types are more prevalent in ethnic minority populations. Because matching blood type is necessary for transplants, the need for minority donor organs is especially high.

25 Facts About Organ Donation and Transplantation

The success rates of transplant surgery have improved remarkably, but growing shortages exist in the supply of organs and tissues available for transplantation. Many Americans who need transplants cannot get them because of these shortages. The result: some of these people die while waiting for that "Gift of Life."

Each year, the National Kidney Foundation develops special public education programs aimed at increasing public awareness of the need for organ and tissue donation. Learning more about organ and tissue donation will help every American to make an informed decision about this important issue. Here are some facts everyone should know:

1. 104,748 U.S. patients are currently waiting for an organ transplant; more than 4,000 new patients are added to the waiting list each month.
2. Every day, 18 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, 4,573 kidney patients, 1,506 liver patients, 371 heart patients and 234 lung patients died in 2008 while waiting for life-saving organ transplants.
4. Nearly 10 percent of the patients currently waiting for heart 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 12,000 people who die each year meet the criteria for organ donation, but less than half of that number become actual organ donors.
7. Donor organs are matched to waiting recipients by a national computer registry, called the National Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). This computer registry is operated by an organization known as the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), which is located in Richmond, Virginia.
8. Currently there are 58 organ procurement organizations (OPOs) across the country, which provide organ procurement services to 250 transplant centers.
9. All hospitals are required by law to have a "Required Referral" system in place. Under this system, the hospital must notify the local Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) of all patient deaths. If the OPO determines that organ and/or tissue donation is appropriate in a particular case, they will have a representative contact the deceased patient’s family to offer them the option of donating their loved one’s organs and tissues.
10. By signing a Uniform Donor Card, an individual indicates his or her wish to be a donor. However, at the time of death, the person's next-of-kin will still be asked to sign a consent form for donation. It is important for people who wish to be organ and tissue donors to tell their family about this decision so that their wishes will be honored at the time of death.
11. All costs related to the donation of organs and tissues are paid for by the donor program. A family who receives a bill by mistake should contact the hospital or procurement agency immediately.
12. Tissue donation can enhance the lives of more than 50 people. Donated heart valves, bone, skin, corneas and connective tissues can be used in vital medical procedures such as heart valve replacements, limb reconstruction following tumor surgery, hip and knee joint reconstruction and in correcting curvature of the spine.
13. In 2008, a total of 14,208 organ donors were recovered in the U.S. Of these, 7,990 were cadaveric donors, which represented a decrease over the total of 8,019 in 2006. Living donors decreased from 6,732 in 2006 to 6,218 in 2008.
14. Donor organs and tissues are removed surgically, and the donor’s body is closed, as in any surgery. There are no outward signs of organ donation and open casket funerals are still possible.
15. Acceptable organ donors are those who are "brain dead" (whose brain function has ceased permanently) but whose heart and lungs continue to function with the use of ventilators. Brain dead is a legal definition of death.
16. Organ transplant recipients are selected on the basis of medical urgency, as well as compatibility of body size and blood chemistries, and not race, sex or creed.
17. Advances in surgical technique and organ preservation and the development of more effective drugs to prevent rejection have improved the success rates of all types of organ and tissue transplants.
18. About 94.4 percent of the kidneys transplanted from cadavers (persons who died recently) are still functioning well at one year after surgery.
19. The results are even better for kidneys transplanted from living donors. One year after surgery, 97.96 percent of these kidneys were still functioning well.
20. Following are one-year patient and organ graft survival rates:

Organ		Patient Survival Rate		Graft Survival Rate
Kidney (cadaveric) Kidney (live donor) Liver		94.4% 97.9% 90.1%		89.0% 95.1% 82.0%

21. Following is a comparison of the numbers of organ transplants done in 2008 and the numbers of individuals who are on the national waiting list as of November 2009.

Organ		Number of Transplants in 2008		Number of Patients on Waiting List* (of November 2009)
Kidney Kidney/Pancreas Pancreas Liver Heart Heart/lung Lung Intestine Total:		16,520 837 436 6,319 2,163 27 1,478 185 27,965		82,364 2,220 1,488 15,915 2,884 83 1,863 229 107,046

22. Of the 13,156 single kidney transplants performed in 2008, 5,968 were from living donors and the rest were from cadaveric donors. In addition, 837 kidneys were transplanted in combination with pancreas transplants.
23. Over 2,500 bone marrow transplants were performed in the U.S. in 2004. Marrow is collected from a pelvic bone using a special needle while the volunteer donor is under anesthesia. The majority of bone marrow transplants are done for leukemia.
24. In the United States fewer than 2.5% of patients with end-stage kidney disease undergo transplantation as their first treatment or therapy. The National Kidney Foundation is dedicated to educating kidney patients about the benefits of pre-emptive transplantation - when a person is able to go straight to transplant without dialysis they usually have good health outcomes.
25. 2008 was the first time in 20 years that there was a decline in the number of deceased donors used for transplants. Living donors in 2008 were at their lowest numbers since 2001.
26. Virtually all religious denominations approve of organ and tissue donation as representing the highest humanitarian ideals and the ultimate charitable act