Whether you’re all for it or sitting on the fence, organ donation helps save lives.
According to Donor Recovery, every thirty minutes someone in America is added to the lengthy waiting list.
Around 123,000 people around America are currently in need of a transplant and many people die before they can receive it.
What organs can be donated?
According to the experts at House Call Doctor, the organs that can be donated include the kidneys, liver, lungs, heart, intestines, face, and hands.
Corneas and several tissues can also be donated to help other people improve their quality of life.
Other parts of the body including stem cells, blood and platelets can be given as well.
Usually organs are donated by people who are deceased. However, there are a few organs that can be donated by living people.
For instance, a part of the lung, intestines, pancreas and liver can be given by a living donor as well as one of the kidneys.
Who is eligible for organ donation?
Nearly every person should consider donating their tissues or organs for someone in need. People over the age of 18 can register and legally consent themselves for organ donation.
Age, race, ethnicity or even health doesn’t depend on being eligible. Organdonr.gov says people have donated organs from as young as newborns, up until 90 years of age.
There are only a few medical conditions that prevent people from donating their organs from when they die. For instance, systemic infections and cancer can infect the person who needs the organ.
When you die, doctors examine your organs and decide if they can be donated.
Some religions prevent people from donating their organs. For instance, Buddhism believes that organ donation should depend on the individual. However, the Shinto religion believes that injuring a dead body is dangerous and a crime.
