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March 2001
Facts
About Organ and Tissue Donation
Imagine being able to hear Beethoven's Fifth Symphony
(or your grandchild's laughter) again after a hearing loss. New
developments in organ and tissue transplants can achieve almost
miraculous results such as restoration of hearing through the implant
of three tiny bones from the middle ear - the hammer, the anvil
and the stirrup. Just one organ and tissue donor can save up to
eight lives and improve dozens of others through corneal, bone,
skin and other tissue transplants.
Yet, organ and tissue donations lag far behind
the need. More than 67,000 Americans - including approximately 7,000
New Yorkers - are awaiting a lifesaving transplant.
To educate the public about organ and tissue donation,
the Federal government has designated April 15th-21st as National
Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Week to motivate more people to
say "Yes" on their donor card and/or driver's license.
According to the Organ and Tissue Donation Initiative,
almost everyone can be part of this effort. There are no age limitations
on who can donate; medical suitability for donation is determined
at the time of death and most religions permit organ and tissue
donation.
The New York State Funeral Directors Association
supports organ/tissue donation as an important gift that is both
life-giving and life-enhancing, not only for the donor recipients,
but also for members of the family that lost someone they loved.
In order to facilitate the organ/tissue donation process and accommodate
the requirements of a funeral service and burial, the National Funeral
Directors Association and American Association of Tissue Banks have
developed guidelines to help meet the organ donation goals of the
federal government.
Among these recommendations are that a tissue
bank or organ procurement organization (OPO) notify the funeral
director handling the funeral arrangements immediately after consent
for the donation has been granted by the family. Once a donor has
been medically qualified, the tissue bank/OPO representative should
inform the family about the impact the donation may have on the
timing of the funeral and viewing of the deceased. In most cases,
donation does not disfigure the body and does not interfere with
funeral plans including open casket services.
It is also recommended that every tissue bank/OPO
establish a reimbursement policy to compensate funeral directors
for the additional time and materials required to prepare a donor
body for embalming and or viewing. The donor's family does not pay
for the cost of the organ donation. All costs related to donation
of organs and tissues are paid by the recipient, usually through
insurance or Medicare.
For more information on organ and tissue donation,
visit the Health and Human Service's Website at: www.organdonor.com.
This Website features an organ donor card that can be downloaded
and used to indicate that an individual wishes to become a donor.
In addition to carrying the card, it is also important to discuss
this decision with family members and loved ones. An individual's
wishes about organ donation should also be included in any funeral
service preplanning.
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(Information for this article was
supplied by the New York Organ Donor Network and the Organ and Tissue
Donation Initiative.)
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