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Donating the gift of life |
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Tuesday, 29 April 2008 |
By KAY LOUTH
Staff Writer
ST. MARYS — April is National Donate Life month and supporters say they hope more people will sign up for a program that saves lives.
“It’s celebrated in April each year, which is fitting because it’s a time of rebirth and renewal in the world,” Joint Township District Memorial Hospital Performance Improvement manager Sondra Bernardi said.
The need far outweighs the supply, Bernardi said. There are 98,000 people in the United States who are awaiting transplants each year. In Ohio, the waiting list has 3,000 people on it.
“There’s definitely a shortage,” Bernardi said. “On average there’s about 12,000 organ donations a year. In Ohio, it is about one (person) dying every day because there’s a lack of a donor. So there’s a critical need.”
Nationally, 18 people die daily waiting for a transplant. Currently, 52 percent of Ohioans are registered as donors while the national average is at 51 percent.
“We know many more are in favor, but haven’t that step,” Bernardi said.
According to Life Connection of Ohio, a non-profit organ procurement organization, approximately 3,000 Ohioans are waiting for a transplant and include the following: kidney — 2,214; liver — 359; pancreas — 60; kidney/pancreas — 64; heart — 77; heart/lung — 1; lung — 82; intestine — 2.
One donor can help up to 50 people, including those with life threatening diseases. Tissue from donors also can be transplanted into patients with various afflictions.
“The critical thing to know is one organ donor can save up to eight lives,” Bernardi said. “Through tissue donation, you can enhance the health of up to 50 individuals.”
Organs that typically are transplanted include the heart, liver, both lungs, kidneys, the pancreas and small intestines. Tissue donors can cartilage, tendons, ligaments and heart valves. Doctors also can use skin as a temporary burn dressing to help save the lives of burn victims until they grow new skin. Bernardi said anyone can be affected by the need for an organ transplant.
“No one ever plans to be on a transplant list, but when you find yourself on it it’s only going to happen when someone else donates,” Bernardi said.
Registering is easy, Patient Representative Peggy Folk said. Folk helps patients prepare their advance directives such as living wills and power of attorney and organ donation.
Folk said people can register to be an organ donor when they renew their operator’s license. If person wishes to become a donor at anytime, Folk said they could register online by going to donatelifeohio.org or at doitnowohio.org.
Donors also need to ensure their next of kin is aware of their desire to be an organ donor because the next of kin has to agree to the opportunity even if a donor registered for the program.
There are 12 transplant centers in Ohio and transplants can be expensive, with a bone marrow transplant averaging $250,000 and a heart transplant averaging $300,000. Kidney transplants have a average cost of $150,000.
However, costs vary among transplant centers as the average figures only include hospital and physician’s fees.
They do not include any pre-transplant or follow up treatments.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 05 May 2008 )
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