Episode 9: Is Organ Donation Right For Me?
Feb 13, 2024
Santiago and Honey are back, and they’re talking about organ donation. Specifically, is being an organ donor right for me or you?
Did you know that eight people can be saved by a single donor and that a single person can give up to 72 different parts of your body? Find out what’s involved, and how it all works so you can decide if being an organ donor is right for you.
Joining them is Rachel Quigley, the communications coordinator with Texas Organ Sharing Alliance in San Antonio. She explained that over 10,000 people in Texas and over 100,000 in the U.S. are waiting for a life-saving organ. Every state has a Donate Life branch, so you can check online for the one where you live.
Rachel explains that as a Texas resident, if you pass away in another state, your family will have to explain your wishes since your donation status was registered in Texas.
They also discuss:
- How your medical history may impact your viability as a donor.
- What your current doctor needs to know about your donor decision.
- How donating organs to a family member works as a living donor for a liver or a kidney.
- While rare, donating to a family member at end of life can happen. The steps you need to take are outlined.
- What medical conditions can prevent you from being a donor.
How does the actual donation process work?
- It starts with registration. If you have a driver's license, you can make your wishes known when you renew at the DMV.
- If you don’t sign up, at the time of your death your family may be asked if that’s something they want to consider.
- If you are donating, when a determination is made that you’re not going to be resuscitated, surgeons will remove your organs and begin the process of finding a recipient that’s a match.
Rachel also outlines the matching process used to determine who will receive the organs. Recipient information is in the UNOS system, (United Network for Organ Sharing), and when a donor passes, their information is entered as well. From there the system will look for potential matches to determine who receives the organ.
There’s after donation support for families so they can understand how their loved one’s donations impacted others. Some donor families and recipients choose to meet and honor the gift of life, but it’s something that both parties need to agree to. There’s no expectation or requirement of anyone if that’s not what they want to do.
Some other amazing statistics:
- Just under 50% of Texans are registered organ donors.
- In the United States, 17 people die each day waiting for a donor.
- A new person is added to the list every 9 minutes in the U.S.
Is being an organ donor right for you? This episode will help you better understand the process and the steps you can take to make your wishes known.
Resources:
Connect with Santiago and Honey
