“Organ donation is lifesaving and life-giving.”
When death takes you away from this world, scaring your family behind, your organs can help in saving another life. Organ donation day is celebrated on 13 of August every year to spread awareness about the importance of organ donation. In the US, more than 4000 people are waiting for a new heart as a heart transplant is the only treatment in the case of heart failure. In India only, more than half a million Indians are in high need of an organ transplant. Almost 5,00,000 people die every year because of non-availability of organs. Still, the number of organs transplanted every year is less than a thousand in number. We are incredibly smaller in donating organs when compared to other countries globally.
What does it mean by Organ Donation?
It is of utmost importance to understand Organ transplantation to understand organ donation. A medical procedure is followed in transplantation, where a person’s dysfunctional organ or tissue is replaced with that of a healthy person to restore the functionality. Even after the advancement in medical science, transplant is the only choice in some instances. Operations helps in restoring the life of the patient. It is nothing less than giving them another chance to live. Generally, most of the organs are transplanted from a deceased donor; patients can also receive organs from living donors. A living person can donate portions of liver, pancreas, lung, blood, intestines, and much more and continue to live a healthy life. One organ donor can donate up to 25 tissues and organs that can help in saving up to nine lives.
Facts related to organ donation-
- Organ donation will not destroy the body of the donor. Organs are retrieved through a single incision, and the body is given back respectfully.
- There shouldn’t be any delay in transplantation; Organs must be removed as soon as possible, tissues must be removed within 24 hours.
How to be a donor?
It is essential to sign up for Organ donation. Download a consent form from National Organ, and Tissue Transplant Organization and fill it. You can even register yourself at some NGOs. There is a considerable rise in the number of donors; celebrities also support the cause, Sangram Singh has pledged to donate his organs, Aishwarya Rai has pledged to donate her eyes to the Eye Bank Association of India. Everyone should support the organ donation regime.
