Organ Donation
Nov/Dec 2010
Click here to download a full-color handout for students.
- What is organ donation?
Organ donation is when doctors remove healthy organs and tissues from one person and transplant them into another person. According to health experts, the organs from one donor can help as many as 50 people.
- Does a donor have to be dead?
No. According to the National Institutes of Health, most organ and tissue donations are done when a donor has recently died, but a donor may be living.
- What organs may be donated?
Kidneys, heart, liver, pancreas, intestines, lungs, skin, bone, bone marrow, corneas (eyes).
- Who is eligible to donate?
People of all ages or backgrounds may donate their organs. If you are younger than 18, your parent or guardian must give you permission to be a donor. If you are 18 or older, you may sign up to be a donor by filling out a donor card. You might also want to tell your family about your desire to be an organ donor.
- How do you sign up to be a donor?
Go to http://organdonor.gov/donor/registry.shtm and click on the state you live in to get the details. You may also sign up to be an organ donor when you get your driver’s license.
- Am I required to be a donor?
No, it’s a voluntary program. But organ donation saves lives. Each day in the United States, about 80 people receive organ transplants. However, because of the shortage of donated organs,19 people die each day waiting for transplants.All told, nationwide, there are about 108,000 people on organ transplant waiting lists.
