National Organ Donor Day and Its Importance

 Organ donation statistics

This follows from organdonor.gov studies

As of August 2017, there are 116,000+ men, women and children on the organ waiting list.

An estimated 33,611 transplants were successfully performed in 2016.

At least 20 people die every day without getting a donor.

Although the majority of US citizens support organ donation, only 54% of them are actually registered as donors.

What needs to be done to donate organs and save more lives?

Get to a nearby hospital or community health center and sign up for organ donation. Organs from one donor can save up to 8 lives. You can help people in your family and community apply for organ donation and become a registered donor.

What organs can be donated?

All eight vital organs can be donated, which include the heart, kidneys (2), pancreas, lungs (2), liver and intestines. Hands and faces will also be on the list in the coming days.

Tissue donation includes cornea, skin, heart valves, bone, blood vessels and connective tissues.

In addition to the above organs and tissues, bone marrow and stem cells, umbilical cord blood, peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC) can be donated.

Who can become an organ donor?

Anyone can be an organ donor, from newborns to the elderly. While there are no age restrictions to become a registered donor, in the US people under 18 should get permission from their parent or guardian. Organ donation depends only on the condition of your organs and physical fitness.

You can still donate organs even if you are not a US citizen. Organs will be provided to patients based on medical requirements, not citizenship.

You can donate even in case of any illness. But people suffering from HIV, jaundice, cancer or any other organ infection will not be able to donate their organs or tissues. If you want to donate your whole body, contact your nearest medical organization to learn about the options.

Spread knowledge and create awareness:

Talk about it with your family and friends, make them understand the seriousness of it. Making a documentary on the topic or holding an event can help people learn about it and the ways they can help save a life.

Engage the discussion on social media, when hashtags related to organ donation start trending, of course people can start searching and learning about it. #NationalDonorDay, #Imadonor are some samples.

Join the organdonor.gov community on Facebook or Follow HRSA (@HRSAgov) on Twitter to share your experiences and learn about donation news and statistics. You can also download social media graphics and share them on your own social media channels to get awareness among people in your group.

Conclusion:

Many organizations and volunteers are willing to help. Now is the right time to step up and register yourself and your family members as registered donors.