April marks National Donate Life Month. It’s a national recognition of organ donation. According to Donate Life America, 95 percent of Americans favor organ donation, but only about 55 percent of Americans are registered to donate organs. It’s estimated that 22 people die each day because the organs needed are not donated in time. Currently, 115,000 men, women and children are waiting for lifesaving organ transplants. It’s not only organs such as kidneys, livers and hearts that are needed. Corneas and tissue donations also bring healing to people in need.
Don’t Let These Myths Stop You from Donating
Organ donation has a lot of misconceptions surrounding it. People are often scared that they won’t really be dead when the doctors take organs. That’s not true. In fact, hospitals will perform more tests (without charging the family) to determine that a person is truly dead before using the organs. Hospital staff will work just as hard to save an organ donor as someone who isn’t donating organs. When you go to the hospital, the focus is on saving your life. Organ donation only comes into the picture after your death. Your family is never charged for donations.
Another big myth around organ donation is that a person is too old or too young. Organ donation is based on medical criteria. Age is not something that automatically disqualifies you. You cannot be too old to donate. Legally, if you’re under 18 you cannot authorize the decision. However, you can tell your family that you do want to donate your organs should something happen to you. Don’t let health considerations keep you from donating your organs.
Religious Considerations
Many people believe that organ donation is against their religion. According to Donate Life America, all major religions in the world view organ donation as an act of charity. Some religions have issued specific positions on organ donation. The Episcopal Church urges “all members of this Church to consider seriously the opportunity to donate organs after death that others may live, and that such decision be clearly stated to family, friends, church and attorney.” The Lutheran Church, Presbyterian Church and United Methodist Church all have similar positions.
However, in many other organizations, the decision is left to the individual. Buddhists leave the matter to the individual’s conscience. Although Christian Scientists typically rely on spiritual means for healing, organ and tissue donation is at the behest of the individual member. Southern Baptists, Pentecostals, Mennonites and Amish take a similar stance, leaving the decision up to the individual.
It’s often assumed that Jehovah’s Witnesses are against organ donation because they are against blood transfusions. It is an individual decision, but typically it will be asked to remove all the blood from the organ or tissue being donated.
Judaism believes that a body shouldn’t be desecrated before burial, but most Jewish scholars say that transplantation does not violate any rules. Even delaying burial is not a problem in organ donation. It saves lives and honors the deceased. Islam scholars also encourage organ donations, in some cases believing it is an obligation.
If you have religious concerns about organ donation, talk to your spiritual leader to get further information.
Why You Should Talk About Organ Donation With Your Family Today
One organ and tissue donor can save or improve up to 50 lives. If your family doesn’t know your wishes, it could hinder their decision if anything happened to you. Some people have said that it helped their grief, knowing that their loved one lived on in someone else. It’s easy to become a donor. Register at the National Donate Life Registry or if you have an iPhone you can use the Health app. Make sure your choice is registered on your driver’s license. Talk to your family. Once you’re registered, the hospital may not need consent from your family, but it will certainly help ease their minds. Take a few minutes this month to make a difference.
