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Kandy.........thanks for all your tireless energy,
research and this great information you provided.
1. Questions and Answers
2. Top 10 Misconceptions about Organ Donation
3. Does My Religion Approve of organ Donation
4. Poem "to Remember Me"
We've been fortunate to have Tom Wriggins, an experienced organ procurement coordinator, (AKITA TW4) respond to the following questions...... Many thanks!
The questions (sent directly or forwarded) are in black, Tom's remarks are in blue.
****Disclaimer****My Never to be Humble Opinion's are mine and mine alone, they are not neccessarily shared by my employer or even my wife. So take'em for what they are worth (9 years of Organ Procurement Experience!!!) and don't try and hold someone else responsible***
Tom Wriggins, BS, NCBF, CPTC - South Carolina Organ Procurement Agency
Q: In the past week I've been asked if those with the following diseases can donate.....MS, Down's, cancer, heart disease, autism, hepatitis, leukemia, et.
A: The selection criteria for donors is sometimes quite vague, this is for a specific purpose. When I began in this business in 1990 there were only 18,000 people waiting for organs (most of those for Kidneys) so we could be a lot more particular about the donors we accepted. Now that the list is over 55,000 we do not have that luxury anymore. There are only a few total contraindicators for donation.
They are: HIV (+), Cancer, and severe untreated sepsis. As far as the diseases you listed obviously we would look closely at the organ function and any genetic problems that may occur, but we would certainly evaluate these patients on an individual basis.
Q. I have always wished to donate blood or give one of my organs in case I died but, I have had melanoma and they don't want my blood.
A: 9 times out of ten any history of Cancer will rule you out as a donor, however, that being said, there have been cases of people with treated skin cancer from MANY yrs ago becoming donors.
Q. Is it possible for PBCers to donate their organs, in other words, are they useable?
A: Obviously not your liver, but certainly you would be evaluated for donation of
the other organs. Especially if you have been transplanted.
Q. In the above file, (Houston Chronicle-Tragic) there is mention made of donating the rest of this families' son's and daughter's bodies to science. I once wanted to do that. I called Harvard Medical School and after two trys, someone mailed me a form to fill out. . We are Jews, and I think she has religious reasons for turning her back on organ donation.
A: #1 Each medical school has it's own policies regarding whole body donation, most will not accept bodies of organ donors (it is the organs they study ya know).
Surprisingly most medical schools have no problem getting bodies and many
times are not accepting new ones. You must also make arrangements for this PRIOR to death (ie consent forms etc)
#2 Jews can donate organs and many due, the Talmud states that saving the life of another is a sacred holy thing. The only changes that are made are with
regards to burial time. Jews must be buried within 24 hrs of death or by the
next sundown, OPO's comply with this wish all the time.
Q. Those with Lupus can't donate organs.
A: Lupus is an autoimmune disease that affects many of the organs in the body. Lupus patients are not ruled out as donors based on the Lupus but only after organ function tests are performed and show poor function.
Q. Could it ever be a reality, for a transplant receipient, to be a living donor. This could possibly be a for a kidney, bone marrow, partial liver etc.. I have been told "NO!!" because of the anti-rejection drugs that we take.
A:Transplant recipients CAN BE DONORS!!!!!!!, That being said, many physicians will not allow reicpients to be Living Donors due to the possibility of complications after surgery and the possibility that due to side effects of your antirejection medication you may need that organ later (ie Kidney). It is more important for recipients to encourage others to sign donor cards and tell their families thier wishes, if there were more cadaveric organ donors we would not need Living Related Donation.
Q. Can someone with hep c be a donor?
A: The answer is yes. Many aggressive centers will take organs from a Hep C + donor. Studies have shown that in heart transplantation Hep C is not transmitted by the donor.
Q. My daughter wants me to ask you if people with Down's Syndrome are allowed to be organ donors.
A: There is great discussion of this topic, but the answer is similar to the Lupus answer. Due to genetic abnormalities associated with Down's certain organs may not be suitable for donation, but that would not rule out the donor just based on the Down's Syndrome.
Q. As far as the doctors "discovering" Mantle had cancer--what a crock. Every month I did blood work and I'm sure he did likewise. The performanceof a CAl25 panel, which is routine for a potential transplant candidate, spells out cancer in anyone who has it.
A: Mickey Mantle was known to have Liver cancer, so the blood test you mentioned would be positive. Baylor University is one of the centers that transplant these patients in the hope that by removing the isolated tumor in the liver that cancer will disappear. Unfortunately Mr. Mantle's cancer had spread to his lungs and when placed on immunosuppressive drugs it went wild.
Q. One of the things that isn't told to you prior to transplant is that whatever diseases/conditions your donor had while living (i.e., herpes, etc.), you inherit with the transplant. Just little items that they "forgot to tell you." With the ones I've inherited, I'm still thankful for the transplant.
A: Not necessarily true, when an organ is transplanted all donor blood has been removed from that organ. Many diseases that are spread thru the blood therefore cannot be transmitted, others can. The main problem though is that while you are immunosuppressed many oportunistic diseases rear their heads. But as you state you are still thankful, I would hope that dealing with an annoying disease is far less traumatic than your death.
Q. Have you heard if Michael Kennedy's medical condition after the accident were viable and if so , were they donated?
To my knowledge (limited to the media) Michael Kennedy was not a donor, which leads me to believe that he was asystole upon arrival at the hospital.
Q. "What would do us more good is if a celebrity dies while waiting for an organ." Do you know of ANY celebrity who died while waiting for transplant?
A: Unfortunately you may be correct, to my knowledge there has not been a well know celebrity who has died waiting for a transplant. If this did occur it would possibly help donor awareness due to our media's inattention to anything positive and only reporting negative things.
Q. Is it true Aids patients are getting good new livers or do they give them Aids infacted ones?
A: At this time AIDS patients are NOT being transplanted, two centers UPMC in Pittsburgh, and UCLA have stated that with the new drug therapy being given to AIDS patients that is allowing them to live longer and surpress the disease, they would not be opposed to transplanting these individuals. This is NOT a belief shared by many other centers and I would be very surprised if it ever came to fruition.
TOP 10 MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT ORGAN DONATION
1. I do not want my body mutilated.
Donated organs are removed surgically, in a routine operation similar to
gallbladder or appendix removal. Normal funeral arrangements are possible.
2. My family would be expected to pay for donating my organs.
A donor's family is not charged for donation. If a family believes it has been billed incorrectly, the family immediately should contact its local organ procurement organization.
3. I might want to donate one organ, but I do not want to donate everything.
You may specify what organs you want donated. Your wishes will be followed.
4. If I am in an accident and the hospital knows that I want to be a donor, the doctors will not try to save my life.
The medical team treating you is separate from the transplant team. The organ procurement organization (OPO) is not notified until all lifesaving efforts have failed and death has been determined. The OPO does not notify the transplant team until your family has consented to donation.
5. I am not the right age for donation.
Organs may be donated from someone as young as a newborn. Age limits for organ donation no longer exist; however, the general age limit for tissue donation is 70.
6. If I donate, I would worry that the recipient and/or the recipient's family would discover my identity and cause more grief for my family.
Information about the donor is released by the OPO to the recipients only if the family that donated requests that it be provided.
7. My religion does not support donation.
All organized religions support donation, typically considering it a generous act that is the individual's choice.
8. Only heart, liver and kidneys can be transplanted.
The pancreas, lungs, small and large intestines, and the stomach also can be transplanted.
9. Wealthy people are the only people who receive transplants.
Anyone requiring a transplant is eligible for one. Arrangements can be made with the transplant hospital for individuals requiring financial assistance.
10. I have a history of medical illness. You would not want my organs or tissues.
At the time of death, the OPO will review medical and social histories to determine donor suitability on a case-by-case basis.
Posted on TransWeb by permission of CORE, the organ procurement organization for the region of western and central Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and southern New York (U.S.A.). CORE is the Center for Organ Recovery and Education, located at 204 Sigma Drive, RIDC Park, Pittsburgh, PA 15238.
Phone: 412-963-6710 (However, please note that general questions about
donation in the U.S. should be directed to UNOS, at 1-800-24DONOR.)
DOES MY RELIGION APPROVE OF ORGAN DONATION?
An often-heard question when organ donation is being discussed is: "Does my religion approve?" Recently the New York Regional Transplant Program published the views of major religion on the subject. Here are those positions.
AME & AME ZION (African Methodist Episcopal) - Organ and tissue donation is viewed as an act of neighborly love and charity by these denominations. They encourage all members to support donation as a way of helping others.
AMISH - Approved if there is a definite indication that the health of the recipient would improve, but reluctant if the outcome is questionable.
ASSEMBLY OF GOD - The Church has no official policy in regards to organ and tissue donation. The decision to donate is left up to the individual. Donation is highly supported by the denomination.
BAPTIST - Donation is supported as an act of charity and the church leaves the decision to donate up to the individual.
BRETHREN - The Church of the Brethren's Annual Conference in 1993 wrote a resolution on organ and tissue donation in support and encouragement of donation. They wrote that, "We have the opportunity to help others out of love for Christ, through the donation of organs and tissues."
BUDDHISM - Donation is a matter of individual conscience.
CATHOLICISM - Transplants are acceptable to the Vatican and donation is encouraged as an act of charity.
CHRISTIAN CHURCH (DISCIPLES OF CHRIST) - The Christian Church does not prohibit organ and tissue donation. They feel that it is a personal decision to be made in conjunction with family and medical personnel.
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE - No position, leaving it to the individual.
EPISCOPAL - The Episcopal Church passed a resolution in 1982 that recognizes the life-giving benefits of organ, blood, and tissue donation. All Christians are encouraged to become organ, blood, and tissue donors "as part of their ministry to others in the name of Christ, who gave His life that we may have life in its fullness."
GREEK ORTHODOX - No objection to procedures that contribute to restoration of health, but donation of the entire body for experimentation or research is not consistent with tradition.
GYPSIES (ROMANY) - Gypsies are a people of different ethnic groups without a formalized religion. They share common folk beliefs and tend to be opposed to organ and tissue donation. Their opposition is cormected with their beliefs about the aflerlife. Traditional belief contends that for one year after death, the soul retraces its steps. Thus, the body must remain intact because the soul maintains its physical shape.
HINDUISM - Donation of organs is a individual decision.
INDEPENDENT CONSERVATIVE EVANGELICAL - Generally, Evangelicals have no opposition to organ and tissue donation. Each church is autonomous and leaves the decision to donate up to the individual.
ISLAM - The religion of Islam strongly believes in the principle of saving human lives. According to A. Sachedina in his Transplantation Proceedings' article,
Islamic Views on Organ Transplantation, "the majority of the Muslim scholars belonging to various schools of Islamic law have invoked the principle of priority of saving human life and have permitted the organ transplant as a necessity to procure that noble end."
ISLAM - Moslems approve of donation provided the donors consent in writing in advance and the organs are not stored but are transplanted immediately. You can also read an article on donation posted at the Islamic Center of Southern California.
JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES - Donation is a matter of individual conscience with provision that all organs and tissues be completely drained of blood.
JUDAISM - Jews believe that if it is possible to donate an organ to save a life, it is obligatory to do so. Since restoring sight is considered life saving, this includes cornea organ transplantation. See also "The Ethics of Organ Donation," a talk by Rabbi Moses Tendler. See also "Ovadia Yosef Rules Kidney Donations Permissable, Even Obligatory"
LUTHERAN - In 1984, the Lutheran Church in America passed a resolution stating that donation contributes to the well-being of humanity and can be "an expression of sacrificial love for a neighbor in need." They call on "members to consider donating organs and to make any necessary family and legal arrangements, including the use of a signed donor card."
MENNONITE - Mermonites have no formal position on donation, but are not opposed to it. They believe the decision to donate is up to the individual and/or their family.
MORMON (CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS) - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints believes that the decision to donate is an individual one made in conjunction with farnily, medical personnel, and prayer. They do not oppose donation.
PENTECOSTAL - Pentecostals believe that the decision to donate should be left up to the individual.
PRESBYTERIAN - Presbyterians encourage and support donation. They respect a person's right to make decisions regarding their own body.
PROTESTANTISM - Encourage and endorse organ donation.
MORMON - Donation of transplants is an individual decision.
QUAKER - Donation or transplants is an individual decision.
SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST - Donation and transplantation are strongly encouraged by Seventh-Day Adventists. They have many transplant hospitals, including Loma Linda in California. Loma Linda specializes in pediatric heart transplantation.
SHINTO - In Shinto, the dead body is considered to be impure and dangerous, and thus quite powerful. "In folk belief context, injuring a dead body is a serious crime. . .", according to E. Narnihira in his article, "Shinto Concept Concerning the Dead Hutnan Body. " "To this day it is difficult to obtain consent from bereaved families for organ donation or dissection for medical education or pathological anatomy . . . the Japanese regard them all in the sense of injuring a dead body." Families are concerned that they not injure the itai - the relationship between the dead person and the bereaved people.
SOCIETY OF FRIENDS (QUAKERS) - Organ and tissue donation is believed to be an individual decision. The Society of Friends does not have an official position on donation.
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST - Organ and tissue donation is widely supported by Unitarian Universalists. They view it as an act of love and selfless giving.
UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST - The United Church of Christ supports and encourages donation.
UNITED METHODIST - The United Methodist Church issued a policy statement in regards to organ and tissue donation. In it, they state that "The United Methodist Church recognizes the life-giving benefits of organ and tissue donors by signing and carrying cards or driver's licenses, attesting to their commitment of such organs upon their death, to those in need, as a part of their ministry to others in the name of Christ, who gave His life that we might have life in its fullness."
So while there are variations in specific views, it is clear that major religions of the world do in FACT PERMIT, ALLOW and SUPPORT transplantation and organ donation. I am passing this information to all on the subscribers of the net in hope that it will aid you in your discussions with friends on the importance of organ donations.
Stan Simbal
This page was augmented with information provided to TransWeb by Christine Gallagher of the Rocky Mountain Organ Recovery System, and appears here by her permission.
More information on this subject is available in the publication "Medical School Curriculum" from UNOS.
"To Remember Me"
By Robert N. Test,
"A 3rd Serving of Chicken Soup for the Soul"
The day will come when my body will lie upon a white sheet neatly tucked under four corners of a mattress located in a hospital busily occupied with the living and the dying.
At a certain moment a doctor will determine that my brain has ceased to function and that, for all intents and purposes, my life has stopped.
When that happens, do not attempt to instill artificial life into my body by the use of a machine. And don't call this my deathbed. Let it be called the Bed of
Life, and let my body be taken from it to help others lead fuller lives.
Give my sight to the man who has never seen a sunrise, a baby's face or love in the eyes of a woman. Give my heart to a person whose own heart has caused nothing but endless days of pain.
Give my blood to the teenager who was pulled from the wreckage of his car, so that he might live to see his grandchildren play.
Give my kidneys to one who depends on a machine to exist from week to week.
Take my bones, every muscle, every fiber and nerve in my body and find a way to make a crippled child walk.
Explore every corner of my brain. Take my cells, if necessary, and let them grow so that someday, a speechless boy will shout at the crack of a bat and a
deaf girl will hear the sound of rain against her window.
Burn what is left of me and scatter the ashes to the winds to help the flowers grow.
If you must bury something, let it be my faults, my weaknesses and all prejudice against my fellow man.
Give my sins to the devil. Give my soul to God.
If, by chance, you wish to remember me, do it with a kind deed or word to someone who needs you. If you do all I have asked, I will live forever.
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