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Thursday, January 29, 2009

Thursday 13

This week my Thursday 13 is about something very important. Something we probably don't think about very often. But I am going to ask you to think about it today, act on it today. Go get that little pink circle sticker. You know the one I am talking about.

13 facts about Organ Donation

1.Over 79,000 U.S. patients are currently waiting for an organ transplant; nearly 3,000 new patients are added to the waiting list each month.
** I stand corrected, there are over 100,000 people who are now waiting for Organ Transplant. Thank you Becky for pointing that out.***

2 Every day, 16 to 17 people die while waiting for a transplant of a vital organ, such as a heart, liver, kidney, pancreas, lung or bone marrow

3.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.

4. An estimated 10,000 to 14,000 people who die each year meet the criteria for organ donation, but less than half of that number become actual organ donors.

5. 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. It is estimated that about 35 percent of potential donors never become donors because family members refuse to give consent.

6.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.

7.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.

8.The number of Americans on waiting lists for corneas averages as high as 5,000 at any given time. Corneal transplantation results in improved vision in nearly 95 percent of those who undergo the procedure because of corneal disorders. Corneas are acceptable for donation regardless of abnormalities in vision.

9.Virtually all religious denominations approve of organ and tissue donation as representing the highest humanitarian ideals and the ultimate charitable act.

10.Because of the lack of available donors in this country, 2,025 kidney patients, 1,347 liver patients, 458 heart patients and 361 lung patients died in 2001 while waiting for life-saving organ transplants.

11.Every day, 16 to 17 people die while waiting for a transplant of a vital organ, such as a heart, liver, kidney, pancreas, lung or bone marrow.

12.Nearly 10 percent of the patients currently waiting for liver transplants are young people under 18 years of age.

13. I have my little pink sticker, do you?

for the new Thursday 13 site go here

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great topic.

I do have my sticker, I'm a big supporter of donation.

Daryl said...

Wonderful post .. no I dont have one .. where do I get it? I do have organ donation noted on my drivers license ...

Mary said...

The stickers are great, but you're right about #5. I've seen several potentially wonderful donations which didn't happen because the family "wasn't sure" what their loved one would want.

Everyone who can should donate blood while they're alive and organs once they pass.

H's Mom said...

Actually your first fact is not 79,000 waiting an organ transplant...that number is now over 100,000.

One in 20 Americans will need some sort of tissue surgery this year.

You can learn more about organ and tissue donation at www.donatelife.net and find out how to become a donor in your state.

Renee Nefe said...

There's a little heart on my driver's license...I'm a donor (well, I will be one day!)
My pastor in TX had a sticker in his office "Leave your organs here, cuz Heaven doesn't need them!"

Lori said...

I am registers and put it in my living will and my power or attorney records also. And vehemently informed all of my family of my wishes!

sybil law said...

Donor here. But WHY do they let the family make the final decision? I don't get that at all.

Mimi said...

I don't, but that's because we get a heart on our license instead, and I DO have one of those.

holly said...

for you, i will try to become a donor.

but no one gets my precious, precious pinkie finger. i'm takin' that baby to the grave.

also, i really want to keep my knee caps.

janetfaye said...

Thank you for this important information.

Eaton Bennett aka Berenice Albrecht said...

I'm an organ donor and it's on my driver licence. :)

Nicholas said...

Than you for reminding us of those very important facts.

bernthis said...

thanks for that. I have the organ donor symbol on my license. I didn't realize that I had to put it in writing.

bernthis said...

thanks for that. I have the organ donor symbol on my license. I didn't realize that I had to put it in writing.