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Can we talk about this later?
By donateblood in donateblood
April 8, 2010

“There are now more than 100,000 people in the United States waiting for lifesaving organ transplants,” says Donate Life America’s 2009 National Donor Designation Report Card. “A million more suffer from blindness, medical conditions or devastating injuries that can be successfully treated with donated corneas and tissue,” it continues.

Texas is one of four states that has an “intent” registry, meaning registering says you wish to donate, but your family holds the power to consent or deny donation. This is why it is important to talk to your family about your wish to donate. End-of-life plans are not usually topics a healthy person wants to think about. Many figure it’s not a conversation that needs to happen right now and that there is plenty of time to have that talk.

But many people never have that talk with their families. When that time comes, and sometimes unexpectedly, your loved ones are left to decide “what would he/she want?” During a time of grief, confusion and possibly anger, that decision isn’t an easy one to make.

For me, making the decision to want to donate wasn’t hard. The tough part was getting the courage to register. Fortunately, there are resources that make this process a bit easier by dispelling myths about the process and explain the good you can do after you’re gone. Here are some brief statistics, as well as resources:

  • 51% of Americans wish to donate all or some of their organs and tissue.*

  • Another 26% are undecided.*

  • 58% erroneously believe that it is possible for a person to recover from brain death.*

  • 51% incorrectly believe doctors may not try as hard to save their lives or are unsure they will, if they know they wish to be a donor.*

  • 44% mistakenly think that in the United States there is a black market in which people can buy or sell organs and tissue for transplant.*

  • 23% of people who say they are undecided, reluctant or do not wish to donate their organs and tissue are not sure they would be acceptable donors. In reality, age or health conditions do not prevent people from becoming potential donors, as donation screening occurs before organs and tissue are recovered for transplantation.*

  • www.southtexasblood.org Tissue Program page provides educational and helpful facts about what tissue is and how the community benefits from your donation.

  • www.donatelifetexas.org also has helpful facts. You can register to donate tissue, organs and corneas all on one form on this site.

April is National Donate Life Month and the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center (STBTC) encourages everyone to register to donate life.

*Statistics come from the 2009 National Donor Designation Report Card.