Organ Donation 9.PCH.1.2: Summarize the procedures for

organ donation, local and state resources, and benefits

Read & ReflectScholar:What do you already know about organ

donation? Collegiate:Why would someone say “no” to organ

donation?Genius:Over the past two decades, the gap between the

number of patients waiting for a transplant and the number receiving a transplant has continued to widen. What may be some reasons for this trend? What could the medical community and we, as a society, do to lessen the gap?

The Jason Ray StoryQ1: What organs did the recipients featured in the video receive?

Q 2: How did Jason register as a donor and why did he want to be a donor?

Q 3: How did Jason’s decision impact his family?

Q4: The donation process is confidential. How did the recipients guess who their donor was in this case?

Q5: Is race a barrier to donation and transplantation?

The Jason Ray Storyhttp://www.donatelifenc.org/sites/default/files/dlnc-soh-ch1.mp4

The Jason Ray StoryQ1: What organs did the recipients featured in the video receive?

A: Ronald-heart, Antwan-kidney, David-kidney/pancreas, Dennis-liver

Q2: How did Jason register as a donor and why did he want to be a donor?A: Jason had registered at the DMV when he got his driver’s license. He told his mother about his decision and his desire to save lives, saying, “What if some child’s daddy was dying and I could save that man?”

The Jason Ray StoryQ 3: How did Jason’s decision impact his family?

A: Jason’s father said it made it easier that Jason had made the decision himself because when you’re faced with your child being in a situation like Jason was, you can’t think logically. He couldn’t imagine making a decision to donate Jason’s organs at a time when he was still hoping Jason would recover.

(At the time of Jason’s death, the heart on your license was an indication of your wishes. In 2007 The Heart Prevails law was passed, making the heart on your license legal authorization for eye and organ donation. Families are closely involved in the donation process, but cannot override their loved one’s decision if they are age 18 or older.)

The Jason Ray StoryQ4: The donation process is confidential. How did the recipients

guess who their donor was in this case?A: Because of medical privacy laws and out of respect for the donor family who has just lost a loved one, everything is kept confidential. However, because Jason’s death was highly publicized by the media, recipients were able to guess who their donor was. (If all parties agree to disclose their personal information, communication between the donor’s family and the recipients is facilitated by the organ donation and transplant agencies.)

The Jason Ray StoryQ5: Is race a barrier to donation and transplantation?

A: No. Race is not a barrier, nor is it a criterion for organ placement. As seen in this instance, Jason’s recipients included both Caucasians and African Americans. A computer database matches organ donors with potential recipients according to medical disability. However, patients waiting for kidney transplants are more likely to have an antigen match with a donor of the same race.

Here are the facts!More than 80,000 people are on the national

transplant waiting list right now.Sadly, more than 6,000 of these people will die

this year while waiting for an organ to become available.

A new name is added to the list every 13 minutes.One organ and tissue donor can save or improve

the lives of 50 or more people.

Who can be a donor? Donors come in all ages and levels of health. Newborns

and the elderly can be a donor.

Donors are generally in good health and have died suddenly. They have been declared “brain dead.”

People who have tested positive for HIV can not be donors.

Living DonorsLiving individuals can donate the following:KidneyPartial liverPartial lungPartial pancreasBone marrowBlood

What organs can be donated?

HeartIntestinesKidneyLiverLungPancreas

What tissues can be donated?

BloodBoneCorneaHeart valveSaphenous vein – longest vein in the body(used as the source of grafts in coronary bypass

surgery)Ligaments and tendonsSkin

Procedure for organ donation1. Pronounced dead

2. Continues to stay connected to machines which will keep healthy organs alive

3. Hospital and organ donation agency will offer the option of organ donation. Additional consent is needed by a family member

4. Tests are completed to assess what organs and tissues are healthy for transplant

5. Surgical teams from the transplant centers receiving the organs arrive for organ recovery surgery

Procedure for organ donation6. Patient is taken to the operating room where organs and tissues are removed, cooled, and preserved with a special solution

7. Transplant teams immediately return to their hospital to perform the transplant surgeries on the recipients

8. Body is sent to funeral home

9. Family will receive general information about the recipients of organs and tissues, excluding name

How successful are the surgeries?There are 19,000 organ transplants performed annually in

the United States.The three-year patient success rates are estimated at:

95% for kidney transplants92% for pancreas transplants91 % for heart transplants90% for liver transplants81% for heart-lung transplants76% for lung transplants

Benefits of Organ DonationOne donor can save up to eight recipients

and enhance the lives of 50 othersSaves livesAllows someone to have a better quality of life

Helps further medical research which indirectly saves and improves livesThis allows scientists and doctors to

understand certain diseases and their effect on the human body.

Helps grieving families

Want to be a donor?

There are two ways to become a donor: 1. At the DMV when getting a driver’s license2. Online registration website

http://www.donatelifenc.org/

Assignment:Imagine you are a recipient, having recently received a transplant. Write a letter to the

donor family to thank them. Start by deciding: What organ or tissue you received Why you needed the transplantElements you can include in your letter: What your life was like before the transplant. How long you waited for the transplant. How the transplant has changed your life. Mention activities you can do now that you

couldn’t before. You might include any big events since your transplant – like graduation or a relative’s wedding – that you’ve been able to attend because of the transplant.

Thank the family for their generous gift.Aspects of communication to consider: How long would you wait before writing your letter and why? Would you like to hear back from your donor family? What would you want to learn about the person who donated – their age, occupation, or

hobbies? Would you ever want to meet your donor’s family? Because you can’t include your name, how will you sign your letter?

Understanding Organ DonationTrue Stories

https://www.donatelifenc.org/stories-hope