By M. Kotch

We often hear that death is just another part of life; in no instance is that more true than when a person decides to become a donor. And while we often hear about organ donors and transplants, we forget that it is also possible to donate one’s body toward scientific medical research. All ghoulish notions of body snatching and grave robbing aside, body and organ donation is an option that is available to all and worth exploring when creating your last will and moving forward with a living will.

Here are a few points to shed a light on the truths and myths surrounding organ donation and body donation.

True or False:

•    90% of Americans say they support organ donation.

True. However, only 30% of Americans are registered as organ donors. How can you register? By visiting Donate Life America, making sure your family and loved ones are aware of your wishes to become a donor, by changing your driver’s license status to reflect your choice and by making your wishes clear in a living will.

•    Registering as an organ donor means you are more likely to have the “plug pulled” in an effort to donate your organs.

False. Saving your life is every hospital’s and medical professional’s first duty. The effort to resuscitate you depends on your living will and whether or not you wish to be on life support. The decision to donate your tissue, organs or body can only occur after death and does not influence the efforts to save your life.

•    Everyone can be an organ donor—no matter what.

False. Acceptable organ donor candidates are typically between the ages of 18 and 60, with organs that have not been affected by certain conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes or cancer. But it is important to note that each donor is evaluated individually, so while a diabetic’s kidneys may not be viable, for example, his or her tissue or other organs may be acceptable. And for those individuals who are older or suffer from conditions that make them ineligible for organ donation, there are other alternatives such as body donation for medical scientific research.

•    If my license reflects that I am an organ donor, then I’m already registered as a body donor, too.

False. You’ll have to register for both and let your family know of your intentions to help others after your death. In many cases, you can request that your organs first be considered for transplants, and if that option isn’t possible (due to tissue damage or non-compatible transplant recipients), for your body to be donated to a medical school for scientific research and teaching.

•    Donating your body to medical research facilities doesn’t cost you anything.

True. Local medical schools and national groups cannot offer you or your family any compensation for your donation (which has to be voluntary). However, they will take care of all fees (such as transportation and other miscellaneous charges), cremate the remains and return them to family or loved ones.

•    Everyone can become a body donor.

False. While it’s true that more people are eligible as body donors than organ donors there are exceptions, including those that suffer from infectious blood diseases (such as Hepatitis B and HIV/AIDS), severe obesity and history of intravenous drug use.

•    All organ donations and transplants occur after the donor’s death.

False. Many choose to donate a kidney, give blood, or register as bone marrow donors and go on to live healthy lives.

While organ donation has gained attention body donation remains shrouded in mystery, but continues to be a generous option to help advance medical treatment now and scientific innovations for generations to come.

For more information on becoming an organ and tissue donor visit: http://www.unos.org.

For more information about body donation to medical scientific research: contact local medical schools in your area, visit the American Association of Tissue Banks or contact a national group such as MedCure.

This entry was posted on Friday, October 16th, 2009 at 12:31 pm and is filed under Support. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.