8ack to Life

The US saw a 6% increase in deceased donors last year- from 11,870 in 2019 to 12,588 in 2020.

Over 105,000 people in the United States are currently on the waiting list for a lifesaving organ transplant. This is the lowest it has been since 2009. The list topped at 124,000 at its height in 2014.

Celebrate the season of giving by signing up to be an organ donor!

Did you know?

Everyone is a universal donor for corneal tissue - the donor's blood type does not have to match the blood type of the recipient.

Tissues that can be donated include:
Corneas
Eyes
Skin
Bone
Tendons
Ligaments
Vessels
Heart Valves

Words are powerful and play an important role when it comes to debunking common myths and misconceptions about organ, eye, and tissue donation. Using the correct terminology can also serve as a way to pay respect to those who have given the gift of life and their loved ones.

Check out recipient stories of corneal transplants at https://restoresight.org/news/?_categories=recipient-stories !

News & Stories - EBAA Since 1961, EBAA member eye banks have provided tissue for more than 2 million sight restoring, life-changing corneal transplants.

Common Corneal Diseases that may require a transplant include Keratoconus, Fuch's Dystrophy, Lattice Dystrophy, and Iridocorneal Endothelial Syndrome.

Better Conversation Week is being celebrated this year from Nov. 20-26. This holiday encourages everyone to have more meaningful, open conversations with their loved ones.

This week, I encourage you to talk to your family about your organ donation decision.

The purpose of Eye Donation Month is to:
-Raise Awareness about cornea donation
-Honor the gift of sight given by selfless donors
-Celebrate cornea transplant recipients living their fullest lives
-Educate about eye donation and encourage individuals to register as donors

November is Eye Donation Month! Donors eyes are used in corneal transplants to help treat blindness. This month allows us to recognize the generosity of those donors!

Read the linked article from the University of Chicago about my grandpa's success story and the new TransMedics OCS Lung device they used for transplanting organs.


https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/forefront/transplant-articles/new-technology-lets-uchicago-medicine-safely-transport-donor-lungs-from-across-the-us

Pediatric Waiting List:

Organ size is critical to a successful transplant as children often respond better to child-sized organs. Although pediatric candidates have their own unique scoring system, children are essentially first in line for pediatric donor organs.

As with the national transplant waiting list, the size of the recipient’s body is taken into account along with the size of the donor organ in order to make the best possible match of donor to recipient.

Question: Can my child register to be an organ donor?

Teenagers 15–17 years old may register their intent to be an organ, eye, and tissue donors. However, until they are 18 years old, a parent or legal guardian makes the final donation decision.

Your medical history is more important than your age. Organs have been transplanted from donors in their 70s and 80s and even 92-year-olds have donated their livers in the United States.

November is National Caregivers Month! This is a time to celebrate the contributions of caregivers in all that they do.

Last year, 605 families declined their relative's wishes to donate organs.

Did you know, there are over 6,500 people waiting for a life saving transplant.

There is no standard age limit or cut off to receiving a transplant. Each transplant hospital has its own specific criteria for accepting transplant candidates.

The U.S. has the highest-performing organ donation and transplant system in the world. From 2017 to 2021, there was a 35% increase in organ donation from deceased donors.

Although it is important to join a donor registry and indicate that you are an organ donor on your driver's license, it is equally important to speak with your family, friends, and doctors about your decision, so that they are aware of your wishes.

You can help improve up to 75 lives by becoming an organ donor!

Wait List Facts:

Waiting for a transplant is not like taking a number and waiting your turn. The waitlist is better described as a giant pool of patients. When a deceased organ donor is identified, UNOS’ computer system generates a ranked list of transplant candidates who are suitable to receive each organ. UNOS matches individuals waiting for a lifesaving transplant with compatible donor organs.

Buying or selling organs is illegal. It is a federal felony to give or receive money or any other tangible gift in exchange for a donated organ. The National Organ Transplant Act was passed in 1984 because Congress did not want wealthy people to have an unfair advantage when it came to receiving organs or tissues.

Myth Busters-

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

Fact: Organ and tissue donation doesn't interfere with having an open-casket funeral. Through the entire donation process, the body is treated with care and respect. Because the donor is clothed and lying on his or her back in the casket, no one can see any difference.

Myth Busters-

Myth: I’m too old to be a donor.

Fact: There is no set age limit for organ and tissue donation. Like the illness myth, the decision to use your organs is based on strict medical criteria, and doctors evaluate each potential donor on a case-by-case basis.

Myth Busters-

Myth: If the hospital knows that I’m designated as a donor, the doctors won't try to save my life.

Fact: This is the number one reason people don’t put “donor” on their driver’s license. In actuality, hospital staff will do everything they can to save you.

Less than 1% of donors end up meeting the specific medical criteria to donate their organs and tissues. Not everyone who signs up is eligible to donate, so the more people who register the better!

The first successful kidney transplantation was in 1954. We have been successfully transplanting organs for 68 years!

Today marks the start of ! Thanks to organ donation my grandpa is alive and doing great! Do something special and register as a donor today.
NHS Organ Donation